The shorthanded Golden State Warriors defeated the Utah Jazz for the second time this year on Sunday night. One big reason for that victory was the play of lone center Kevon Looney.
With Draymond Green being out, Looney has stepped up and carried the load as a rebounder.
The Golden State Warriors have struggled over the past two weeks, but they’re starting to get back on track because of the play of center Kevon Looney.
Since January 9th (the first game Green missed in this stretch), Looney has averaged 10.9 rebounds per game. Take a look at this huge offensive rebound and-1 that sealed the win for the Warriors,
HUGE rebound and put back for Kevon Looney! 💪🏽pic.twitter.com/iYoCjzwHJk
— Warriors Nation (@WarriorNationCP) January 24, 2022
What some people will not notice about Looney from looking at the box score is how much he influences winning.
He can play defensive at the perimeter and in the post along with protecting the rim. He plays hard and competes against some of the best centers in the NBA. He sets great screens that allow shooters to get open looks from three.
His impact is far beyond the box score.
Looney is the only active center on the Warriors roster and the front office is content with that. Anthony Slater reported that the Warriors do not plan to add another Center to their roster in large part because of the way Looney has been playing.
Despite what the rest of the league thinks of Looney’s impact his teammates are well aware of how important he is to their team,
Jordan Poole on what Kevon Looney means to the team: "Everything. He has such a big impact."
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) January 24, 2022
GP2 on Kevon Looney: "I've been saying this since the beginning, Loon is the heart and soul of this team."
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) January 24, 2022
Looney is playing the most minutes of his career this season, but it does not seem to affect him. He has started all 47 of the Warriors games, being the only player on the team that can say that. That is so valuable in a league where rest and “load management” have taken over.
He is 11th in the NBA in offensive rating at 124.2 and third in defensive rating at 101.1. Some added context to his rebounding prowess is that Looney ranks seventh in the league in total rebound percentage at 18.9%.
Once James Wiseman comes back into the fold it will be interesting to see what that means for Looney and his minutes, but the Warriors should know that whatever role they give to Looney he will make the most of it.
Looney will also be a great mentor to Wiseman because of his blue-collar attitude and selfless personality. His winning plays go unnoticed by many but the team feeds off “Loon” and his contributions.
Even the two-time MVP Stephen Curry realizes what Looney means to the Warriors,
Kevon Looney has always been that guy you can depend on 💪 pic.twitter.com/a0YuhAgCj0
— Warriors Nation (@WarriorNationCP) January 24, 2022
The Warriors know what Kevon Looney means to their team and it is time he starts to get the respect he deserves around the league.
But, none of that matters to Looney because all he cares about is helping the team win.