Golden State Warriors: The unappreciated magnificence of Kevon Looney
Golden State Warriors’ center Kevon Looney has provided his teammates with both second and third attempts by attacking the glass relentlessly on offense.
His name easily drowns in the endless ocean of splendid stars of the NBA. Media also puts him in the back due to the many stars of Golden State Warriors.
However, Kevon Looney has been crucial the last two games against the Houston Rockets, and he may not stay anonymous for much longer.
In the 2019 Playoffs Looney is averaging:
18:02 MIN
6.7 PTS
4.3 REB
0.8 AST
That’s not great to the naked eye, but when we dive deeper into the more memorable parts of the series, Looney comes alive.
But, Game 6 and 7 just showed us the best of the center from Milwaukee. Looney stepped on the pedal and threw his pace in the face of his bench. He was inspiring to say the least.
MIN in Game 6 and 7 22:21 20:06
PTS in Game 6 and 7 5 14
REB in Game 6 and 7 9 5
AST in Game 6 and 7 2 1
Kevon Looney has a high basketball IQ. He’s a great passer, great rebounder, he positions himself well and he keeps his feet moving while defending. In the Warriors-Houston series, Looney often found himself guarding Chris Paul after a switch, and he did a great job always putting the pressure on.
In the series-ending Game 6 between the two teams, Looney even had an almost game-winning block on Gerald Green. The Warriors were up by six and on defense when Green went up for a three-pointer with 33.2 seconds left on the shot clock.
Looney only got away with one block on Friday, but it was devastating to the Rockets.
The effort through these two games was impressive. Looney, again and again, provided his teammates with second and even third chances on offense because of his aggressive game in the paint.
His 9 rebounds in Game 6 and his 14 points in Game 7 helped the shorthanded Warriors overcome a tough series that might have swung a different way without the third-year big man.
Looney personifies the competent but hugely underrated Warriors bench. The Kevin Durant injury showed that the Warriors bench will deliver when needed, and Looney elevated his game during two high-pressure games.
After the Durant-injury Reggie Miller openly and on-air asked: “Oh my, where are the points going to come from now”.
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Golden State immediately answered collectively and are in the Conference Finals once again.