Golden State Warriors: Kevin Looney is more important than you think

Think about the most important players on the Golden State Warriors. Splash Brothers? Yes. Draymond Green? Obviously. Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman and the other young prospects? Of course. But, what about Kevon Looney?

There are infinite reasons to be excited about the Warriors next season. Fans are eager to see names like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody make their debut. The rookie’s contributions will undoubtedly be important but many are overlooking the value Looney still brings to this team.

A member of the Golden State Warriors’ unsung supporting cast, Kevon Looney will be more important next season than many realize.

Selected way back in 2015 at the end of the first round, Looney has been with the Dubs for four of their NBA Finals’ runs and two championships. He played a relatively small role each season until finally being an unsung hero in the 2019 NBA Finals — playing through injury and battling in the paint to make an impact defensively.

Since then, Looney has not really had an opportunity to do much. He’s been injured on and off throughout the last two seasons and he isn’t any good as a role player if the stars around him are absent.

Yet, during his 34 games as a starter last year, Looney reminded us why he still belongs on the team. He posted a +6.1 Net Rating in his time on the floor, acting as a steady rebounder and rim protector. Compare this to the Warriors’ -1.2 Net Rating without him and it is clear Looney is an important cog in the machine.

This is for a few underrated reasons. As we have mentioned, Looney is reliable down-low. He isn’t going to reject shots at a prolific rate but his massive frame allows him to clog the paint and anchor the defense in a different way. Secondly, his years of experience with the team help Looney to be in the right place at the right time to set screens and hit open shooters.

Looney averaged a career-best 5.3 rebounds last season and shot 54.8 percent from the field. His steady presence is what makes him so welcoming for a team that has not had much consistency as of late.

With a new influx of rookies and the ever inexperienced Wiseman set to play big roles next season — having Looney as another guy who understands his role and is comfortable playing in key moments will be crucial to keeping the Warriors above water as they navigate through the growing pains of the new rotation.