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Golden State Warriors: Kevon Looney has an impossible task

By Tony Pesta

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MARCH 01: Kevon Looney #5 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after getting called for a foul against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter of the game at Target Center on March 1, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MARCH 01: Kevon Looney #5 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after getting called for a foul against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter of the game at Target Center on March 1, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) /
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For Kevon Looney and the Golden State Warriors, things don’t get much tougher than the road ahead. The Western Conference is loaded with talented big men and Looney is the last line of defense that Golden State has to offer.

The undersized Kevon Looney has a tall task ahead of him when it comes to anchoring the paint for the Golden State Warriors this postseason.

Sure, James Wiseman has been progressing towards a return to action but the inexperienced 20-year-old showed plenty of shortcomings in his rookie season and it’s unfair to assume he will have made a leap in development considering his time has been spent recovering from a knee injury.

The best-case scenario is a limited version of Wiseman that can share a portion of the load in the playoffs. Otherwise, Looney has the impossible task of anchoring their entire efforts.

Yep, 6-foot-9-inch Looney is the only *true* center the Dubs have available. To make things worse, this isn’t the same league it was a few years ago when small-ball was prevalent. The NBA has seen a resurgence of big men and the Dubs are all but certain to run into a few of them in the playoffs.

At worst, the Dubs will have to find a way to slow down the reigning (and potential two-time) MVP, Nikola Jokic. The Joker is averaging 26.0 points, 13.8 rebounds and 8.1 assists as his sixth-seeded Denver Nuggets would be the Warriors (third seed) matchup if the playoffs began today.

Other notable foes include three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, a rising star in Deandre Ayton, Karl-Anthony Towns and potentially even Anthony Davis.

On the other side of the aisle, names like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo and Joel Embiid pose a challenge to the Warriors’ interior efforts depending on who comes out of the East.

Standing in the middle of it all will be Looney who has been an unsung hero for Golden State, posting career-highs in points and rebounds. He’ll need to continue his strong performances as the task ahead of him is a difficult one, to say the least.

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