The Washington Wizards will be without a key role player on Sunday, as the league announced Saturday that Oubre would be suspended one game following an ejection that took place in Game 3. After an illegal screen set by Kelly Olynyk that sent Oubre to the ground, Oubre sprinted straight for Olynyk, taking him out and sending him to the floor, causing all kinds of commotion.
Olynyk's history
According to Oubre, he had been repeatedly hit by Olynyk prior to this instance, and it finally boiled to the point of retaliation. This isn't the first instance Olynyk has been in, either, as he has been called a dirty player in the past.
He had an instance a couple of years ago where he pulled Kevin Love down over his back, dislocating his shoulder and sending him out of the playoffs. He then had the same situation against Brooke Lopez this season, though that didn't end in a shoulder dislocation.
The screen itself shouldn't be considered a dirty play. It was called a foul and that's how it should have ended -- even with recent history in mind.
What it means with Ombre out
Kelly Oubre isn't the most dynamic player in the world, but he does provide a lot of utility for the Washington Wizards. Oubre, Bogdanovic, and Porter are three crucial players. Without one of them in the rotation, it makes an already weak bench even weaker.
These guys are good but they just aren't deep. Oubre's loss will be big because Oubre can bring a little bit of everything. He's developed his shot, he can defend, and he provides some electricity off the bench.
This loss of Oubre means that the other guys need to step up. Bogdanovic and Porter both did so in Game 3, but they need them now more than ever.
It also puts more pressure on Bradley Beal and John Wall to succeed. Wall has been electric all postseason and especially in this series, but Bradley Beal needs to step up on offense and defense. Offensively he hasn't been shooting the ball well from beyond the arc. He's got to be the guy to hit threes for this group so that Wall can do what he does best and attack. On defense, Beal has to make Isaiah Thomas work hard for his shots. Beal won't shut Isaiah down but if he can make him work then they'll be in great shape in Game 4.
