Kelly Oubre settling in, expects to bring versatility and grit to Charlotte Hornets
Ish Smith had to delve into his memory banks for a second to ensure the recollection was correct.
Smith, after all, suited up for 11 teams prior to joining the Charlotte Hornets as a free agent last month, and the Concord native paused to get the appropriate picture. In remembering his initial interaction with Kelly Oubre, Smith pointed to the 25-year-old’s intangibles and how those qualities should translate perfectly into the Hornets’ expected approach.
“I was with Kelly man ... when I was with Washington his rookie year,” Smith said Wednesday. “I had just played in Philly and then some things happened that summer and I ended up going to D.C. and training camp. And Kelly was there as a rookie from Kansas, and me and him were together that whole summer. Just working out, working out, working out. I built a pretty good relationship with him. I seen how talented he was. I watched him at Kansas. So he’s going to fit in well like a foot in a shoe (here). He just is.
“His defensive prowess and how he can defend at a high level, his length. Just kind of the energy that he brings on and off the court. And he brings that swag. So that always helps, too. So he’s going to really, really fit in and I’m excited now this time to actually play with him. It’s going to be exciting to see him and constantly see his growth over the year as he’s playing.”
Signed to a two-year, $26-million deal in the offseason to provide versatility, some much-needed depth and serve as an insurance policy, Oubre seems downright giddy in his new environment. At media day on Monday, he said he “hasn’t been this excited to start a season in probably five years.”
The Hornets are just as thrilled to have him. There were many teams vying for his services, some with more interest than others. They included Los Angeles, Milwaukee, the L.A. Clippers, Denver, Brooklyn, Portland, Cleveland and New York.
During the process, coach James Borrego reached out and gave Oubre the lowdown. Being embraced by Borrego from the get-go left him grateful.
“It means everything,” Oubre said. “He called me in the offseason before I even signed, and we just had a great talk about what I can do to help this team, and what he can do to help me and my game. It’s kind of mutual respect. So I’m a front-line soldier for him, and I’m ready to go to war with him leading the charge.”
Before a down campaign with Golden State in 2020-21, which came on the heels of his trade from Phoenix just before the season started, Oubre’s production was on a steady increase. His points per game average, field-goal percentage and 3-point shooting percentage rose from his third season in Washington in 2018 and culminated with his initial full season with the Suns in 2019-20.
He was thrust into the equation rapidly after getting shipped to the Warriors and never seemed to completely settle into the role, also battling an avulsion fracture and ligament tear in his wrist that didn’t allow him to attack the rim and dunk like he typically does. With the Hornets, he’s receiving a fresh start and something else that he believes will be beneficial: time to actually get acclimated.
“Yeah, it makes a big difference,” Oubre said. “Me being able to to adjust, I didn’t really have that adjustment period last year because once I got traded I was right to work. So I’ve been here before the season, before training camp. And I’ve been blessed enough to have sit downs with coach, bonding time with the guys and pretty much just everybody getting on the same wavelength.”
Oubre’s interchangeability could be a significant addition. Borrego’s position-less approach is at its best when there are more players who can be effective in more than one spot on both sides of the ball, allowing for better creativity. With Oubre, Borrego now has even more options.
“It’s going to go to a different level because I add another set of versatility on the court,” Oubre said. “I can play all things that coach asks me to do, as well as other guys on the this team. We just have a pretty much solid group that can play any position. And that’s good for the flow of the game and the flow of our team.”
He already has at least one fan in fellow newcomer Mason Plumlee.
“I’ve always had a lot of respect for Kelly’s game, going back to Washington and Phoenix, the different places I’ve played against him,” Plumlee said. “He’s just a competitor. I think he doesn’t take his time on the court for granted. That showed out. I think we played against him on one team where they were far out of the playoff hunt. There wasn’t really anything to play for, but he was playing like it was like a playoff game. So you always respect that approach and that mentality, and I’m happy to be on the same side of it.”
As is Oubre and his laid-back demeanor. He intends to keep incorporating himself into his new surroundings, though at the appropriate speed.
“It takes time,” Oubre said. “I haven’t been forcing anything. I’ve definitely just been trying to be myself, show that I am who I am. These guys, we’ve known each other for a while from a distance. But now it’s different energy whenever I’m face-to-face with these guys that I’ve been competing against. So I’m just being myself and showing how I fit in. Being me.”
