Kevon Looney, Golden State Warriors’ unsung hero all year
By Tony Pesta
The Golden State Warriors have had more than their fair share of superstar names highlight their roster. But, it is guys like Kevon Looney who shift the scales from “fun playoff team” to legitimate title contender.
Looney has drawn the short stick for most of his NBA career, at least from an individual standpoint. He joined the Warriors as the 30th pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, playing his rookie year on the greatest regular-season team of all time.
From there, Looney gradually earned more minutes in the frontcourt as the Warriors won back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018. It wasn’t until the 2019 postseason that Looney got his first taste of consistent minutes on the big stage.
Looney played well, despite numerous injuries, averaging 5.8 points and 3.2 in 20 minutes of playing time in the 2019 NBA Finals.
With Klay Thompson’s injury, Kevin Durant’s departure and Stephen Curry’s eventual injury in the 2019-20 season — expectations for the Dubs plummeted and an opportunity for Looney to become a mainstay in the rotation appeared.
Kevon Looney has steadily climbed the ranks and his handwork reached a pinnacle in Game 6 for the Golden State Warriors.
By the time the 2021-22 season began, Looney had racked up six years of NBA experience to serve as the Warriors’ starting center in 80 games. Here, he remained an unsung hero all season long, fighting an upward battle as an undersized big.
Looney had multiple games of 15+ rebounds and recorded a career-high 18 boards against Cleveland in January.
However, it was a closeout game against the Memphis Grizzlies where Looney had the best performance of his career.
In Game 6, Looney played a playoff-high 35 minutes, racking up an unreal 22 rebounds (11 offensive) in the Warriors’ tight win over the gritty Grizz.
Had it not been for Looney’s relentless pursuit of the ball, this series could have easily gone the distance. Yet, Loony did what he has been doing all season as the man who is willing to do the dirty work with none of the glitz and glamour that comes from being a star.
There is plenty of credit to go around but the Dubs should be thanking Looney for advancing to the Western Conference Finals.