NBA
#15 Atlanta Hawks: Kelly Oubre
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
The Atlanta Hawks selected forward Kelly Oubre from the University of Kansas with the No. 15 overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft. However, Oubre was immediately dealt to the Washington Wizards in a trade that landed the Hawks the No. 19 overall selection and two future second round picks according to the reports.
Oubre was a ballyhooed prospect heading into his freshman season of college but in many ways didn’t live up to the high expectations, struggling to earn a spot in the Jayhawks’ rotation early on – which is highly unusual for a five-star prospect in the one and done era.
With future Hall of Fame forward Paul Pierce possibly opting out and leaving, the Wizards were in the hunt for additional depth on the wing to pair alongside former lottery pick Otto Porter Jr. In Oubre, the Wizards found an athletic prospect with a high upside that won’t be pressured to contribute immediately in their rotation.
Oubre averaged 9.3 points, 5 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 21 minutes during his lone season at Kansas. While the numbers weren’t overwhelming overall, Oubre played much better during the latter stages of the season and impressed officials in workouts leading up to the draft.
In a lineup with Bradley Beal and John Wall, a guy like Oubre won’t be asked to carry a lion’s share of work, which gives him a great opportunity to find a niche role on a playoff team.
