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After the Golden State Warriors heard of their All-Star guard Klay Thompson tearing his right Achilles they swiftly made a trade to bring in former Phoenix Suns, and then Oklahoma City Thunder, forward Kelly Oubre Jr. Coming off a career year, it seemed to be a great move to shore up their starting lineup.
However, to start the year, Oubre Jr. had career lows in points and three-point percentage. Not the start the team had hoped for. Even as recent as last week he was mentioned in trade scenarios.
Yet last night Oubre Jr. shined bright as he scored a career-high 40 points shooting 7-10 from behind the three-point line and 14-21 overall from the field. Following the game, he spoke on how playing for Golden State has been an unexpected change for him.
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Oubre Jr. on What He Had To Adjust
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After cooling off from his shot shooting night, Oubre Jr. spoke at length about what it’s been like to play next to the Warriors’ two-time MVP Steph Curry and how he’s had to adjust to fit into their schemes.
“[It] was more of a psychological change,” Oubre Jr. stated on “Warriors Postgame Live” via NBC Sports Bay Area. “I have the tools to take it to the next step, but, mentally, I have to slow myself down, and wrap everything and find my flow. I’m finding that gradually, so I’m really happy to play with a great player in Steph [Curry] so we can continue to push this [momentum] forward.”
“It felt good. We’ve got another one coming up in two days, so [we’ve] gotta focus on that. But just to get all that stuff — all the rust off — finally, felt really good.”
Kerr Believes Oubre Jr. Is Getting ‘Comfortable’
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The Warriors head coach Steve Kerr also commented on the impressive night from Oubre Jr. He has been an advocate for him all season and suggested how things are beginning to heat up for him.
“I think this has been coming,” Kerr explained to reporters following the contest via NBC Sports Bay Area. “Obviously, for Kelly, it’s been a rough first quarter of the season. And yet, within that span, he’s had some excellent games for us. He’s played very well at times, he’s just had some really poor shooting nights during that span that people have locked in on. But Kelly is getting more comfortable. Guys in the locker room love him and want to help him continue to get comfortable. This was obviously a great night for him.”
“I think, honestly, I think this style fits everybody better. When the game is like that it’s so loose and up and down and feels almost like Summer League. I think everybody is more comfortable in a small game where there’s a lot of space and room to roam. It’s a little easier to get a rhythm.”
Following this great win for the team, hopefully, Oubre Jr. can build consistency to help the Warriors pile on more wins.
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