While the Golden State Warriors have had a tough season marred by injuries and disappointment, it's just as sad to look around the league at some of their former Warriors players who are in decline.
Whether it's Klay Thompson playing for the tanking Dallas Mavericks or Jordan Poole falling from grace more and more with each game, it's not a pretty sight to see guys who played a big role in delivering championships for the Warriors now struggling.
However, one former player's struggles have been harder to stomach than all the rest, and that's center Kevon Looney who is languishing in irrelevance with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Kevon Looney's decline with the Pelicans has been hard to watch
While there was baggage with both Thompson and Poole's departure from the Warriors, Looney was just seemingly really beloved by all his teammates and coaches as well as the fans. He was an unheralded player who did his own thing quietly, but came up huge time and time again for Golden State.
He was so dependable for the Warriors, playing in 82 games in back-to-back seasons, the first of which resulted in the fourth ring for the dynasty. It's no coincidence that his reliability on the floor led to a championship, and one could easily argue that the Dubs don't beat the Boston Celtics that year without Looney.
Head coach Steve Kerr sent a heartfelt message to Looney after his departure and it was easy to tell how much the big man meant to the franchise.
How the mighty fall though.
Looney signed a two-year, $16 million deal with New Orleans in the offseason. While Warriors fans were sad to see the popular player go, there was a feeling of happiness that the veteran was able to get himself a nice contract that the Warriors weren't in a position to give.
Unfortunately, Looney's first season with the Pelicans has ended up being a nightmare. He's only played in 20 games as the team clearly is clearly trying to tank. He's dealt with injuries and even when he has been on the floor, he's not been his usual self in averaging three points per game while shooting a brutal 43.1% from the field.
No one wants to see him struggle like that, so it's a shame that his career has hit a bump in the road with New Orleans. Perhaps he'll get it turned around, but if this season derails the nice career he was building for himself, that will leave a lot of Warriors fans heartbroken.