Golden State Warriors: Kevon Looney can become X-Factor

The Golden State Warriors will need someone to step up this season, here is why Kevon Looney could be that guy.

Although they did lose a ton of talent in the offseason, the Golden State Warriors remain a top tier team in the league. Winning a championship this year will be tough, but Kevon Looney could prove to be a huge help for the Warriors.

While the Dubs were busy building a dynasty throughout the decade, Looney has slowly been developing his game. Beginning his career with the Warriors in the 2015-16 season, Looney was reserved to a bench role up until recently.

Looney’s minutes per game in each season:

• 2015-16 – 4.2 mpg
• 2016-17 – 8.4 mpg
• 2017-18 – 13.8 mpg
• 2018-19 – 18.5 mpg

Steadily, Looney has managed to up his production each year. As the Warriors lineup grew and evolved, the big man continued to work on his game and earn a larger role.

Last year, Looney averaged a career-high in points, rebounds, assists and steals. This was a direct result of him playing nearly 20 minutes a game and starting in 24 games, the most in any single-season of his career.

By the time the playoffs began, Looney was ready to make an impact. When an injury to DeMarcus Cousins opened up a path for him to show off his talent, Looney took full advantage of the opportunity.

He had his most impressive performances in the NBA Finals when he became a two-way threat to protect the rim and finish on the other end. His size helped him haul in rebounds while his athleticism allowed him to keep up with the fast-paced brand of basketball the Warriors love to play.

Even with a chest contusion, Looney did everything he could to help the Warriors extend the series to six games.

Now, heading into the 2019-20 season, the Warriors will once again need Looney to help out. With more adversity than ever surrounding the team, Looney can be the x-factor with his potential to impact the game on both ends of the floor.

The Warriors could get a lot of offensive production out of Looney. His jumping ability creates lanes for an easy lob to be thrown at any time. Furthermore, he should be able to clean up any misses by being active on the offensive glass.

As for the defensive end, his talent will be tested this year. The Dubs have taken a hit defensively and will need someone to step up. If Looney manages to protect the rim at a high level, the Warriors won’t suffer too much.

Looney will likely break his career-high numbers from last season as his usage rate should increase as well. Overall, how effective Looney becomes could have a drastic influence on how successful the Warriors are as a team.