National Basketball Association

Washington Wizards Season Outlook 2016: Kelly Oubre Will Be The X-Factor

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Washington Wizards forward, Kelly Oubre, will be expected to play a big role now that the team has stopped relying on veterans.

John Wall and Bradley Beal have the keys to the Washington Wizards franchise. The team, as many have said, will go as far as the backcourt could take them.

While the pressure is on the two highest paid players to perform and lead the team back to the NBA Playoffs, the supporting cast has to live up to expectations for the team to have tangible success.

Otto Porter, entering the last season on his current deal, will look to earn a monster payday in the summer. This season could determine Porter’s future in the nation’s capital.

Marcin Gortat is expected to remain the team’s starting center, but Ian Mahinmi will compete for that spot in training camp. Depending on how well each player performs, one of the two bigs might end up leaving D.C. sooner than expected.

Markieff Morris, perhaps more than anyone else on the roster, is getting another chance to rebuild his reputation under a new head coach after his falling out in Phoenix. The slate is clean for Morris as he enters his first full season in Washington.

The starters have a lot riding on this season, but the same is true for some of the reserves, including Kelly Oubre.

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Washington addressed the need for depth by adding Mahinmi, Andrew Nicholson and Jason Smith this off-season, but Ernie Grunfeld failed to acquire another wing player who can compete for minutes behind Porter.

The backup small-forward spot has essentially been given to Oubre, who could almost be considered a redshirt rookie.

After playing just 671 minutes this past season – the equivalent of 14 complete NBA games – Oubre is expected to immediately contribute.

Unlike this past season, Oubre is going to have a head coach who has faith in his abilities as a player.

That alone could make all of the difference for Oubre, who was one of the standout players during NBA Summer League.

At 6-foot-7, Oubre is built like a modern wing player: he’s long, defends the perimeter, can knock down shots from deep and excels in transition.

One of the primary reasons the Wizards hired Brooks was for his player development. A player like Oubre has all the tools to become an All-Star; it’s just a matter of cultivating that talent.

The 20-year-old is going to be thrown into the ocean. We’ve yet to see whether or not he can actually swim. Performing well during summer league is one thing, but showing up every night against seasoned veterans is another.

Oubre was itching for an opportunity to play this past season and now it’s arrived. Washington doesn’t have anywhere else to turn. The vets that took time away from Oubre, like Alan Anderson, are gone.

Washington doesn’t have a leading player coming off the bench. Tomas Satoransky, Trey Burke, Marcus Thornton and Nicholson all have the potential to become the team’s sixth man. Oubre, though, is the one all the coaches and fans will watch. Ultimately, he’s going to be the x-factor.

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