The Golden State Warriors are looking to adapt come next season, and that goes for the players as well. Long a reliable defender, Kevon Looney can become an offensive threat as well.
The Golden State Warriors need to adapt if they want to keep the window for title contention open as long as possible.
Golden State has successfully locked down its core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green for the future. With all three still in their primes, they can still compete for a title, but they can’t do it alone.
A championship trio but an older version nonetheless, the Warriors need an impactful supporting cast to help endure a Western Conference that seemingly got even more competitive than before. There are plenty of new faces on the roster, but Kevon Looney is among the few returners, and for good reason.
Looney has been an astounding defender, particularly on the switch.
But now just like the franchise in the larger picture, Looney must adapt his game. There’s no reason to believe he cannot be a reliable option on offense as well.
Just look at Looney’s growth ever since entering the league back in 2015 as the final pick in the first round by the Warriors. Kevon Looney has increased his averages in rebounds, field goal percentage, and minutes played each season. But often overlooked, the same can be said for his scoring totals.
Looney has bumped his points per game from just 1.8 in his rookie year to 6.3 this past season. Steve Kerr accurately labeled him a foundational piece of this Warriors’ dynasty, and he’s been arguably the lone example of Golden State’s successful youth development.
In the postseason, Looney’s offensive skill set was on display on the biggest stage. With Kevin Durant and eventually Klay Thompson sidelined with injuries, we saw Kevon Looney on the receiving end of lobs from Draymond Green.
Looney was the one converting on second-chance baskets, particularly in the Warriors’ Game 4 sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals.
Even with the acquisition of D’Angelo Russell, the Warriors will be looking for offensive contributions from anyone and anywhere. For Looney, averaging double-digits in scoring seems like a realistic goal for him to set ahead of the 2019 season.
We all respect Looney on the defensive end but don’t overlook his potential to become more of a two-way player for the Warriors.