The shots will go to Kelly Oubre Jr. Steph Curry believes, and so does Steve Kerr.
Oubre, who acquired the Warriors after Klay Thompson’s torn Achilles, is now 0-for-17 from the three-point series through the first three games of the season and 0-for-31 on non-dunk attempts. His 17.5 effective field goal percentage is the worst in NBA history through three games in the 3-point era.
Curry is the most prolific three-point shooter in NBA history. He’s had his setbacks and knows it won’t last forever. After the Warriors’ 129-128 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, Curry had a message for his new teammate.
‘I told him after the game that we all celebrated [Damion Lee’s] shot, it takes a lot for a man to have the power on defense and influence the game at the end as in the third quarter with a bunch of steals and deviations. if he shoots the ball, he can always find another way to influence the game, and eventually he will figure it out. I did not tell him, but I did not see – we know of course how he shoots – every time I give it to him or every time he is open and he shoots, everyone throws all three hands at us ready to see the first one enter and hopefully there will be a flood afterwards. He can not lose confidence. He needs to take those shots. But he also needs to influence the game in other areas that he can do athletically. He did it tonight and that’s all you’re asking for from a guy going through a shooting situation like this until he turns it around. ‘
Oubre remained confident amidst his shooting fights and knows the shots will eventually start to fall. In his career, Oubre is a 32.4 percent 3-point shooter and comes from a season in which he flattened a career high of 35.2 percent from outside the arc for the Phoenix Suns.
Curry is also going through an uncharacteristic slump to start the season. The two-time MVP is 9-for-35 from distance through the first three games. Curry still scored 13 of his 36 points against the Bulls in the fourth quarter, hoping he can build momentum and carry on in the Warriors’ next game against the Detroit Pistons.
“I missed a lot of openings that hopefully will not continue to happen,” Curry said after the game. “But the rest of them are just trying to find my rhythm. There’s no excuse, just for what my expectations for myself and photos I take, always think I’m going to make. I do not think – maybe one or two of them I would be bad shots.The rest of them I was confident and one I feel I can make.And it’s just to stick to the program.
“You can talk about how many games I played in a calendar year, but I feel like I can shake it off pretty quickly,” he said. “It’s just an attitude, and that’s why it turned around in the fourth quarter and hopefully it’s gaining momentum in the next game. The last thing you can do is just stop shooting even if you’m frustrated.”
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The Warriors now sit at 1-2 on the season. Golden State has struggled heavily on the defensive side and is still trying to find an offensive identity with all the new pieces around Curry.
“Very different,” Curry said. “Mostly just because of different staff members and that’s good at the moment. We’re learning and growing, so I think you have to be honest with yourself. It was terrible and uninterrupted around the first two games. Even if shots went in, I think it was need to do what we did from the last game until tonight.S sort of cut it off and work on doing the details and the little things in our sets and trying to create shots out of it.Like our week to week “growth can add a little bit. I think we had a little bit more confidence going on to keep growing.”
A win over the currently unbeaten Pistons to close out the season opener will give the Warriors a little pepper before returning to the Bay for a grueling home game of seven games.
The Warriors hope the setbacks for Curry and Oubre are in the rearview mirror by their return.