Kelly Oubre has no regrets from the three-plus years he spent with the Wizards, telling Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, “I gave everybody my all, man.” Oubre was traded to the Suns last week, but with the team on a road trip, he still hasn’t been to Phoenix. He made his return to Washington tonight and sounds like he’s not fully sold on the Wizards’ decision to unload him.
“I could go into theories of why (GM) Ernie (Grunfeld) and (VP of basketball operations) Tommy (Sheppard) did what they did, but at the end of the day, it’s not my job to,” Oubre said. “I’m on the business aspect of it and I’ve got to make home in Phoenix.”
Oubre was a victim of the salary structure in Washington. He will be a restricted free agent next summer and the team was concerned about being able to match a sizable offer because of luxury tax implications. Oubre is now part of the rebuilding process in Phoenix, which he doesn’t believe will need a long time to be successful.
“ It’s not necessarily age. I don’t really believe in age,” he said. “If your mind is strong enough, you can do anything, no matter how old you are.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Defense has sparked the Suns in their four-game winning streak, writes Cody Cunningham of NBA.com, which is ironic because the team just traded one of its best defenders in Trevor Ariza. Phoenix is allowing teams to shoot just 41.3% in those four games and became the first team in history to hold back-to-back opponents to 20% or worse from 3-point range.
- The injury to Damian Jones accentuates the Warriors‘ loss of veteran big man David West, who retired after last season, writes Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. Golden State’s center rotation has fallen apart as Jordan Bell has been a disappointment and Kevon Looney hasn’t fit well with the reserves. The Warriors plan to give Draymond Green more minutes at center until DeMarcus Cousins is ready to return from his Achilles injury.
- In an interview with Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register, Clippers coach Doc Rivers looks back on the day three years ago that a contingent from the team visited free agent center DeAndre Jordan to change his mind about signing with the Mavericks. “It was a weird day, but I think it was far weirder on the outside of the room than on the inside of the room,” Rivers said. “I mean, basically D.J. basically told us he was staying within five seconds.”
Kevon Looney is playing amazing. Who is this guy watching?
He is playing amazingly, but it mentions ‘with the reserves’… But that shouldn’t matter right? He’s starting. Jordan Bell looks lost out there at times. He still jumps at every fake and gets in foul trouble.
Looney is playing well, amazing is a bit overboard. And he is not a Center and should not be against bigger frontlines.
Bell isn’t a disappointment… I mean the guy was a 2nd rounder what does people expect of him to be an all-star or what? SMH
This year so far the disappointments (if any at all) in GSW would be Livingston, Iggy, Klay & Dray they really have dropped a bit, but probably is easier to blame guys like Bell & Looney
But, because he was bought for cash from the Bulls and joined the Warriors he was declared a steal, ‘The Next Draymond’, and hasn’t really done anything since
For one you’re wrong and for the other, the rest of the players aren’t being as effective because the team decided not to bring in a vet center. At the very least guys like ZZP and West bodied bigger players and kept the ball moving on offense.
Surely the teams “Leader”, one of the games current top 2, can carry this team on his back…..
Curry is able to, so why can’t KD step up and carry them all?!