Does Golden State Warriors’ 2015 first-round draft pick Kevon Looney deserve to be ranked a top-100 NBA player?
Golden State Warriors’ forward Kevon Looney didn’t crack into the 51-100 range of ESPN’s Top 100, meaning he’s likely not going to make it as a top-100 player.
It’s assumed that Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and D’Angelo Russell will make the list, allowing for four Warriors in the top 50 which should be the highest of any team in the NBA. Last season, with Kevin Durant, the Warriors boasted four in the top 50.
However, don’t be shocked to see either Thompson drop into the late 40s or not make the list at all given that he’ll be out till early 2020. They did preface the ranking with who will be the best this upcoming season.
As for Looney, he will likely be a major piece of the puzzle for the Warriors in the upcoming years. They re-signed him to a three-year, $15 million deal. He’ll be the only Warrior not mentioned above to make over $3 million this upcoming season.
He proved his value this past offseason, one reason for his new contract. With Cousins out the bulk of the postseason, Looney stepped in and provide both elite offensive rebounding and versatile defense, something the Warriors needed desperately.
Averaging a career-high 6.3 points per game, Looney slide into the starting center role that was originally given to Damian Jones and then taken from Looney by DeMarcus Cousins. He may not even be given that role again with Willie Cauley-Stein being added this offseason.
Either way, it’s hard to justify Looney as a top-100 player when the Spurs’ Derrick White was No. 100. A great, up-and-coming guard that also flashed potential during the last postseason, both White and Looney have terrific futures in the league.
Rankings likely mean little to Looney, but for the 23-year-old, to get himself into the top 100, he needs to gain a capable mid-range shot and even potentially develop a three.