“Just in Shock”: Kelly Oubre Opens Up On Working with Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr

Kelly Oubre Jr. officially became a part of the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. Although it was shocking for the Phoenix Suns‘ fans, when they learned about Oubre being traded, it looks like he is more than happy to join them and is looking forward to being coached by Steve Kerr.

The Suns received superstar Chris Paul from Oklahoma City Thunder for Oubre. Following Oubre, he was sent off to play for the Warriors instead.

Although Kelly had quickly made a name for himself when he was with the Washington Wizards and then the Suns, both these teams are no beacons of success. Therefore, this could be a real turning point for Oubre. There are certain red flags with acquiring Oubre. His shot selections aren’t great, he takes risks defensively and his previous seasons have ended with injuries.

However, what Oubre brings to the table outweighs all that. He is an elite athlete whose high energy is extremely contagious. Averaging a career-high of 18.7 last season, he has a lot to prove about himself before he becomes an unrestricted free agent after the 2020-21 campaign.

Kelly Oubre looking forward to being coached by a legend

There is no doubt that Oubre will thrive playing under Golden State coach Steve Kerr along with superstars like Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

Before he got to know that he was headed to the Warriors, Kelly was reportedly watching “The Last Dance”. This is an ESPN documentary that retraced Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls’ winning their three championships with Steve Kerr. The very next day, Oubre got a text from Kerr.

“Mutual excitement,” Oubre said of their first conversation and added that Steve was a “legend.” Oubre further said, “I’ll loosen up a little bit (around him). I’m just in shock. It’s dope.”’

With Klay Thompson’s injuries becoming a barrier once again, Oubre is under a lot of pressure. He is expected to fill in the void Thompson has left with his scoring punches. Although there is no replacing the elite shooter and the winning mentality and toughness Thompson exhibits, Oubre will just have to try.

Can Oubre help the Warriors come back into contention and become a key player for them? Or is he going to remain a temporary solution until Thompson comes back?