Kelley Oubre Jr’s con: He is a poor system player
Oubre’s potential fit with the Lakers feels right, but his time in Golden State suggests a serious flaw in his style of play. As an athletic scoring wing, playing in a fast-paced, flowing offense would seemingly embrace Oubre more than any other.
Instead, Kelly Oubre, Jr. shot 31.6 percent from beyond the arc, tied with his rookie season as his worst shooting season. After his poor 2020-21 campaign, Golden State opted not to bring Oubre back and let him leave for nothing. The lack of confidence a team with a long-range focus had in Oubre leaves a sour impression of his overall fit as a team-oriented, system-first asset.
While the 2022-23 season was Oubre’s best scoring year, the Hornets’ star guard in LaMelo Ball spent the vast majority of the season on the sideline due to major injury. Charlotte finished the season winning only 27 games.
Even with his improved stat line, Oubre’s plus/minus ended negatively at -1.1, and his win shares per 48 minutes was a wildly ineffective .051, half the league’s .100 average.
Oubre would certainly serve a diminished role in LA, possibly minimizing his potential drawback.
Finally, Kelly Oubre, Jr. still offers a valuable rotational piece for the Lakers.