SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA- DECEMBER 28: Golden State Warriors’ Kevon Looney #5 is congratulated by Andrew Wiggins #22 after a dunk within the second quarter of their NBA sport in opposition to the Denver Nuggets on the Chase Middle in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021.
HOUSTON — Kevon Looney is already carrying a heavy load this season. A string of accidents to the frontcourt may add further weight on his shoulders and drive the Warriors to make use of extra small-ball rotations on their back-to-back Texas journey in opposition to the Rockets and Spurs.
With a hip damage sidelining Andre Iguodala for the Warriors’ subsequent three video games, Nemanja Bjelica listed as day-to-day with again spasms and Draymond Inexperienced out indefinitely with a again damage, Looney will play an important function in stifling Houston huge Christian Wooden and San Antonio huge Jakob Poeltl.
Mucking up the paint for opposing groups’ imposing bigs has been a Looney speciality with the Warriors’ frontcout depth thinner than ever this season.
“Loon’s been unbelievable, all yr actually,” Warriors guard Steph Curry stated just lately. “Particularly with Draymond out, anchoring our protection and giving us a paint presence. He’s been blocking photographs and rebounding and placing a physique on huge guys.”
Inexperienced is the Warriors’ composer, distinctive in his capacity to orchestrate the offense and defensive switches all whereas guarding opposing groups’ finest and largest gamers. Looney, 26, has softened the blow of Inexperienced’s absence. With Bjelica lacking Saturday’s win over the Nets, Looney turned the lone Warrior to play each sport this season.
And he’s finished all of it whereas placing up profession numbers, solidifying himself as an iron man with Golden State.
His 21 minutes per sport are a profession excessive and carry no empty energy; he’s stuffed each minute with a career-high 7.4 rebounds per sport, 6.1 factors per sport and practically a block per sport. Since Inexperienced’s again damage flared up the identical day as Klay Thompson’s grand return to the court docket on Jan. 9, Looney has averaged 10.7 rebounds per sport with double-digit rebounds in seven of the final 12 video games.
Though they’ve regressed in defending on the rim with out Inexperienced, the Warriors have the third-most impactful protection within the NBA since he went out. Solely the Bucks and Celtics have held opponents additional under their common capturing proportion.
With James Wiseman but to take part in contact practices and Inexperienced out, Looney has been the Warriors’ solely true middle on the roster. They might be outsized by opposing groups’ true facilities when Looney isn’t on the court docket — seven-footer Poeltl and 6-foot-10 middle Wooden have a dimension benefit going into the following two video games. However the Warriors’ robust perimeter protection anchored by Andrew Wiggins, Payton II and Thompson helps mitigate the shortage of dimension defensively by protecting opposing groups out of the paint.
Looney’s influence goes past the paint, too. He’s taking a management function, of types. When requested what Looney meant to the workforce, Warriors guard Jordan Poole stated, “the whole lot.”
Looney, 26, is without doubt one of the longest-tenured Warriors on this squad subsequent to Curry, Inexperienced and Thompson. He’s well-versed in head coach Steve Kerr’s system.
“He understands rebounding angles, he understands personnel,” Kerr stated final week. “Nice one-on-one particular person defender in opposition to all 5 positions. He’s our greatest screener. He’s only a actually vital participant.”
Ought to Bjelica’s again spasms persist by the highway journey, Kerr could must deploy rookie wing Jonathan Kuminga and guard Gary Payton II in additional small-ball rotations over the highway journey.
Looney and people small-ball lineups will likely be key components in protecting the optimistic vitality rolling to Texas after a 6-1 homestand.