Warriors: Kevon Looney has earned minutes even upon Wiseman return
The Golden State Warriors are going to have an interesting decision to make in the near future as second-year center James Wiseman is set to return to action in the coming week. Wiseman is reportedly bulked up and could take his game to the next level.
What that exactly looks like following a relatively disappointing rookie season isn’t quite known. With that in mind, the only player that Wiseman’s ascension could be bad for is Kevon Looney.
The Golden State Warriors will have decisions to make regarding who starts at center and the minutes distribution. What does that mean for Kevon Looney?
Current starting center, Looney, has certainly earned his fair share of minutes even once Wiseman returns. The duo will likely be capped as the team should also look too play some small-ball lineups.
However, Looney really doesn’t need to be concerned as he’s played well enough to keep a stable flow of minutes. The key for Looney is that he’s far from a superstar. He does his role extremely well though.
Originally a first-round draft pick of the franchise, Looney was given a 3-year, $15 million following a solid 2019 postseason.
He was primarily given that deal because of the work he was able to do against James Harden. For a big man, Looney can move his feet at an elite level which just helps all aspects of the Warriors defense.
It is a huge factor in helping them limit ways other teams can expose them. That said, the past two years, Looney hasn’t exactly played like a player that is earning above a minimum salary. That’s change this season.
He’s averaging 5.2 points and a career-high 6.9 rebounds per game. Shooting just over 50%, the main takeaway from Looney’s performance should be his offensive rebounding, collecting 2.5 offensive rebounds per game.
Combine his rebounding with his defending, and you have a player that is going to help this team contend. But, he’s not going to have near the ceiling that Wiseman has, especially as a low-post scoring option or a lob threat.
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Nonetheless, he’s proven time and time again this season that his skills are handy, and he should be seem as a long-term piece of the puzzle for Golden State.