The more Kelly Oubre Jr. talks of his first, and perhaps only, season with the Warriors, the less enthusiastic he sounds.
Oubre lives freely on and off the court. As a Warrior, it seems he didn't exactly feel that way.
"I want to continue to show all the things I’m capable of and not be put in a box," Oubre said on the latest HoopsHype podcast. "I felt like the universe was trying to put me in a box last year. It’s something that always clashes because it’s a big deal whenever I’m trying to be put in a box, because I can’t be put in a box.
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"I’m going to continue to show you and prove to you why you shouldn’t put me in a box. I think that just fueled me to work harder this summer and to come back next year and be a better all-around player."
The 25-year-old wing was on a streak of increasing his points per game averages every season of his career. That is, until Oubre joined Golden State for his sixth NBA season, right before becoming a free agent.
Oubre went from 18.7 points per game with the Phoenix Suns in 2019-20 to just 15.4 in Steve Kerr's offense. His 43.9 percent shooting from the field was his lowest since 2017-18, his 31.6 percent shooting from 3-point range was his worst since 2016-17 and his 50.1 effective field goal percentage also was his lowest since 2017-18.
Plus, Oubre's minutes per game went down from 34.5 to 30.7.
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When it comes to free agency and his next destination, Oubre is leaving that out of his hands.
"As far as the business side, I can’t control that," Oubre said. "All I can do is wait for August to roll around with my team and us to really handle the business side. I just want to go somewhere that I can spread my wings and continue to grow and be a focal point in the culture."