Kevon Looney Looks Healthy and Is Playing an Important Role
Despite last night’s rough outing, we all know that Steph Curry has still been on an absolute tear lately, breaking Kobe Bryant’s record for consecutive 30-point games by a player aged 33 or older and playing arguably the best basketball of his career.
While Curry’s recent play has deservedly garnered all the attention and undoubtedly kept Golden State afloat in the playoff hunt, a large part of the Warriors’ past stretch of good games should be attributed to the team’s commonly unsung hero, Kevon Looney.
If you’ve been a Warriors fan for long, you know how instrumental Looney was to the team’s offensive flow and defensive scheme during the years of perennial NBA Finals appearances. He often served as the team’s best center, was a great screen-setter, an underrated rebounder and could guard all 5 positions well. However, over the past year and a half, Looney has struggled with injuries, which made his play inconsistent and, in some cases, irked some fans to the point where they wished he would be traded during the deadline.
In short, we should all be extremely glad that Looney is around. Over the past 10 games or so, Looney has looked like his old self again, and at the perfect time. Since Wiseman has gone down with his season-ending meniscus injury, Looney has been just as much of an anchor on the offensive and defensive side of the ball as he was in 2017-2019.
On Monday, Looney held leading MVP-candidate Joel Embiid to 4-of-14 shooting (28.6%) and created two turnovers, while also notching career-highs in rebounds and minutes played (34 MP, 15TRB). Embiid, who is averaging nearly 30 points per game on 51.2% shooting, finished with 28 points and shot 57% when guarded by any other Warriors defender. Additionally, in his recent matchup against another leading MVP candidate in Nikola Jokic, Looney limited Jokic to 37.5% shooting, three turnovers and just one assist while guarding him. Up until the Sixers game on Monday, he played the most minutes in his career that night against the Nuggets (31 MP).
Over the years, Looney has endured two hip surgeries, a neuropathic condition and a core-muscle injury, and it has been hard for him to stay on the court for long periods of time. Now, Looney looks pain-free and spry as ever, and it’s showing. Since the Bucks game two weeks ago, the Warriors have outscored their opponents by 52 points (!!) when Looney has been on the court. While he certainly isn’t a flashy player, Looney’s effectiveness on both sides of the ball can’t be overstated enough.
Steve Kerr and the Warriors’ coaching staff are bound to lean heavily on Looney for the remainder of the season as the team’s only true center, which should bode well for the team's playoff chances and is a great sign for Warriors fans.