Kelly Oubre Jr. is the Warriors’ shooting guard, though it was hard to tell back in December, when he shot just 4.8 percent from 3-point range.
Now, as the the Warriors bask in the the glow of their comeback win against the Heat, his on-court performance finally fits his title. He was a steady presence in that game, with 23 points and eight rebounds, hitting 9-of-15 shots from the field, including 4-of-7 from distance.
In fact, since the start of February, Oubre is one of the best shooters from distance in the NBA, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Want a crazy stat? Twenty-five players have hit 25 or more 3s since February started. Oubre is one of them. He’s 25 of 54 from deep in the month’s nine games. That’s 46.3 percent, which is the seventh-highest rate among that group, even a nudge above Curry (an absurd 56 of 123 in nine games, but still 45.5 percent).
The Athletic
Well now. That’s quite the turnaround. It’s hard to believe Oubre is outdoing Steph Curry in Curry’s specialty, the 3-pointer, even percentage-wise. But that’s what’s happened lately. Oubre is on fire.
And as I mentioned, he’s come a long way. Also per Slater, Oubre missed his first 17 3-point shots this season and his percentage from beyond the arch was in the teens until mid-January. Now, he’s above 30 percent for the campaign.
The Warriors need all they can from players not named Steph Curry. Curry has been his normal brilliant self, but the guy needs help. That’s what finally happened in Golden State’s win against the Heat, especially considering Draymond Green’s last second scratch. If they can all put it together at the same time and get healthy, the Warriors could make a run up the Western Conference standings, aided greatly by a shooting guard who can actually shoot.
(Photo credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)
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