The Golden State Warriors had a lot of faith in Kelly Oubre Jr when they acquired him in the summer, and even though he got off to a rough start in the bay, it seems like he’s finally coming together.
However, he’s far from being a fan favorite among Dub Nation right now, and that’s not likely to change any time soon, as his recent comments about coming off the bench when Klay Thompson is healthy didn’t do much to help his cause:
“I can offer a lot more than coming off the bench,” Oubre said, as quoted by Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Asked whether he'd be OK coming off the bench next season, Kelly Oubre said, "I can offer a lot more than coming off the bench."
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) March 26, 2021
But more worryingly, it seems like Oubre’s comments also rubbed some of his teammates the wrong way. Apparently, some players felt like Oubre should’ve been more humble and embrace a different role, just the same way Andre Iguodala did:
“Warriors players didn’t take lightly to those comments. They made it known Iguodala, a Finals MVP was OK with coming off the bench but Kelly MFing Oubre won’t. That was to his face from an unnamed player in the locker room who was not happy with those comments,” Bogut said on his podcast Rogue Bogues.
At the end of the day, Oubre will either have to deal with his new role or find a different team. Sadly for the Warriors, it seems like having him as a sixth-man kind of player would be quite beneficial and he could even close out games, but he just doesn’t seem to feel that way.
In his first season with the Warriors, Oubre Jr is averaging 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game on 43% shooting, so it’s not like he’s lighting it up to try and send Klay Thompson to the bench.
