Phoenix Suns: Draft Workouts Day 8 Recap
Kelly Oubre
Like Lyles, Kelly Oubre didn’t get the chance to show off his individual game much because of the system that he was in. At Kansas, this 19-year-old freshman only played 21 minutes per game, averaging 9.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from downtown.
He projects to be a 3-and-D project at the next level, but Oubre is hesitant to box himself in like that.
“3-and-D is something that’s there, but I want to expand my game to be the best player that I can be all-around,” he said. “Just trying to help my team win and whatever my coach needs me to do, I’ll do it.”
"Being able to create for others and getting out in transition." - Oubre on what he thinks he can do in the NBA #SunsDraft
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) June 4, 2015
Oubre, who worked out for the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, believes he’d be a good fit in Phoenix because of their up-tempo playing style.
“It’s definitely something that I thrive in, just out in transition, having the ball in my hand or even running the wing with big guys that are athletic and that can run, that’s something that I can thrive in in the NBA,” he said.
For the Suns, their interest likely stems from his potential to knock down the three-ball. Even though Phoenix already has P.J. Tucker, T.J. Warren and Marcus Morris at the 3, the Suns were the worst three-point shooting team in the league after the All-Star break.
“There’s something about lefties,” Hornacek said. “When you look at them, most lefties look pretty smooth in their shooting and he shot the ball well today from both the three-point line and inside of that.”
Oubre said the biggest difference between his role in college and the NBA level is that he’ll get to be more of a creator now that the floor is spread out. That being said, even with his capability of attacking off the dribble, he knows that his ability to knock down looks from beyond the arc will play a big factor in cracking an NBA team’s rotation.
“It’s definitely getting better, I’ve been working on my shot throughout this whole pre-draft process and I’ve become more consistent with my three,” he said. “I have a lot to improve on as well as everybody else, but I’m pretty confident in my shot that I can knock down a lot of shots at the next level.”
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Oubre also addressed the notion that his laid-back demeanor somehow means he’s not passionate about the game of basketball.
“I’m a very poised guy, I don’t get rattled easily so I just laugh when people say that I don’t have a passion for the game of basketball,” he said. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here today. I give everything I have to the game of baseball and I will continue to do so until the day that I die.”
Unlike Frank the Tank, Oubre would be more of a work-in-progress, but the potential is clearly there — provided he can bulk up.
“I think there’s probably more [potential] than Frank, because Frank’s 22 and has got more of the bulk and the size, Kelly still looks pretty skinny,” Hornacek said. “But you see his athleticism and his shot, maybe he’s a guy you weigh a little bit more. If you’re comparing guys, he might not be there quite yet but you can see in a year or two that he can get there.”
Next: The Rest