Why Hornets’ Kelly Oubre is glad he’s still with team: ‘I have a lot to give to this city’
Kelly Oubre’s personal nightmare is finally over.
Relegated to mostly showing off his hip fashion sense since the calendar flipped to 2023, the Charlotte Hornets swingman nearly burst through his skin Friday morning. He was that eager, enthused beyond belief to return into the lineup following a 24-game absence necessitated by Jan. 5 surgery on his left hand.
“It feels amazing,” Oubre said. “I’m really excited. I’m trying to control my energy load because I don’t want to run through a wall. But I’m really excited to get back on the court, and I’ve had two really good practices with the team to test out where I’m at to gauge where my hand is at. And I don’t feel any pain.”
Oubre’s ache-free evening was good news for the Hornets, one of the many positive things they could grasp onto in a 121-113 victory over Minnesota at Target Center that extended their season-best win streak to three games. Although Cody Martin sat out for a 16th straight outing nursing left knee soreness, Charlotte is actually getting healthier.
It just took nearly two-thirds of the season.
“That’s been the tough thing all year, is guys being in and out of the lineup,” said Gordon Hayward, whose season-high 27 points and 13 rebounds were key in holding off Minnesota. “So, it’s hard to build rhythm as individuals, it’s hard to build rhythm with your teammates, chemistry.
“Glad to have Kelly back tonight. He brings a lot of versatility to our team. Offensively, he’s a huge weapon for us. But also on the defensive end, he’s got size and length, and can rebound and push and do a lot of things that can help our team on that end of the floor as well. So, it’s good to see him back for sure.”
In 23 minutes against the Timberwolves, Oubre posted eight points and three rebounds off the bench, including a two-handed hammer showing any ill effects of his hand injury may have truly disappeared. Over these remaining 21 games, his hope is to uplift the Hornets (18-43) in a few areas and infuse them in a variety of ways.
“Some energy, some toughness, some defense and a little bit more scoring,” Oubre said. “That’s the thing I bring to this team. I just want to continue to hone in on my game, and just continue to improve my skills and, hopefully, I can continue to lead these guys and continue to do it as they go on in their careers.”
Given his lengthy on-court inactivity, Oubre didn’t envision the smoothest of transitions immediately, and a bit of rust was evident in their tussle with the Timberwolves (31-31) that came down to the closing minutes. He brought the ball up on one of his initial possessions in the first quarter and had the ball poked away by Nickeil Alexander-Walker, leading to a Minnesota fastbreak.
Knocking off the cobwebs and working into game shape will be a process.
“It’s just part of it,” coach Steve Clifford said. “You can’t expect him to come in and play at the same level he was before he got hurt. But he’s done everything he could to be ready. We played (a scrimmage Thursday) and it’s going to take him a little time. I mean, that would be anybody that missed that much of time.
“But I think all you can ask guys to do when they are out a long period of time is they do their best to get as ready as they can. And he’s done that.”
Happily, too.
“Oh, yeah man, I’m good,” Oubre said. “The first couple of days, the conditioning part of it was the thing that slapped me in the face. But I’d rather get thrown into the fire and test myself to the limit just to see where I’ll be at in the game, and I fared pretty well. Obviously, it’ll take some time to get into game shape, but I’m comfortable.”
Oubre insisted on trying to stay mentally prepared while he was out, ensuring he didn’t develop an unwanted lackadaisical mind frame. Practices. Shootarounds. Walkthroughs.
Name it and Oubre likely participated. All to gather as much steam as possible while he waited for clearance from his surgeon and the Hornets’ medical staff to give him the signal to slowly begin getting back to normal. Life wasn’t easy for the natural lefty.
“I haven’t been able to use my hand for two, three months,” Oubre said. “So, we’ll see. I’m confident in myself. I’ve been shooting a ton of shots ever since I’ve been able to get unlocked and take the brace off. So, hopefully I’m mentally tough enough to break through and start where I left off.”
That’s a lofty ambition considering Oubre was in the midst of an impressive stretch. He’s averaging career bests in points per game (20.2) and steals (1.6). He’s also one of six players in the league who’s posting 20 points, five rebounds and at least 1.5 steals this season.
The others? Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, Miami’s Jimmy Butler, Dallas’ Luka Dončić, Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray and Paul George of the LA Clippers. Whether it’s serving as a reserve of a fill-in starter, Oubre’s worth this season is unquestioned.
“He was averaging over 20 a game, so that’s a lot of points to lose,” Clifford said. “At the time he got hurt, I think he was second in the NBA in deflections. So, not only does he score but he helps us create some offense with his defense.”
And he’s just happy to be around after the trade deadline passed earlier this month, which wasn’t a given because he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He loves Charlotte and wants to stick around.
“Man, it’s a blessing for sure,” Oubre said. “I have a lot to give to this city, to this organization, to my teammates as far as my leadership and my life path. And I know they can learn from it. I’m a professional and I’m really good at what I do. So, I can go out there and show y’all better than I can tell y’all.
“I still feel like I get the lighter end of the stick when it comes to who I am in this league. But I can show you better than I can tell you.”
This story was originally published February 24, 2023 at 10:45 PM.
