Kelly Oubre ruled out of Sunday’s game with concussion

Just when the Wizards seemed to be catching stride and working their way up in the standings, they suffer another blow.

Kelly Oubre suffered a concussion during Friday’s game against the Detroit Pistons according to a report from J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic.

It is unclear when Oubre suffered the concussion during the game at this point, but according to league rules a player diagnosed with one must be monitored for 24 hours and is unable to play during that time.

The timetable for Oubre’s return is unclear at this point. He could be ruled out for just one game or he could miss the next few weeks. It all depends on the severity of his symptoms and how he tests.

Oubre had finally carved out a spot in the rotation as the Wizards’ sixth man and began regularly playing starter’s minutes. The team has won four of their last five games. In that span, Oubre averaged 30.4 minutes per game, 11.0 points per game and 1.8 steals.

In that same span he also scored a career high 19 points against the Milwaukee Bucks in a 110-105 win.

His pressure on defense led to untimely fouls on occasion, but his ball pressure and energy late in games made it difficult for opponents to run offense late. His defensive play earned him high praise from Head Coach Scott Brooks as well as his teammates.

Oubre is also a key cog in the Wizards best lineup and one of the best lineups in the league that features him along with Otto Porter, Marcin Gortat, John Wall and Bradley Beal. When it plays, that lineup is a +33.1 with a 90.5 defensive rating.

Oubre’s season certainly started slow, but its clear that he’s become a piece the Wizards have to rely on night in and night out. As far as filling his role goes, the team will likely rely on rookies Tomas Satoranksy and Sheldon McClellan, who just returned from a D-League stint, to fill his minutes.

The Wizards face a tough task with the Clippers coming up and their schedule doesn’t get any easier after that game with the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks coming up in their next four games.

The Wizards are trying to gain ground in the standings to jostle for a spot in the playoffs. Those teams are right above them. The sooner Oubre gets back for Washington, the better.