Golden State Warriors legend Kevon Looney has had a less than ideal first season at the New Orleans Pelicans, but somehow things are getting worse for the veteran center after the franchise's latest rotation move on Saturday.
Interim head coach James Borrego decided to start big against the Philadelphia 76ers at Smoothie King Center, but instead of turning to Looney, the Pelicans went to fellow veteran big DeAndre Jordan for over 30 minutes of action seemingly out of nowhere.
Kevon Looney's season just got worse for the Pelicans on Saturday
Jordan appeared in two-straight games for the Pelicans at the start of the season, but hadn't been seen since their 122-88 loss to the Denver Nuggets way back on October 29. Yet the 37-year-old made a triumphant return on Saturday after over 50-straight DNPs, playing a key role in the Pelicans emerging with a 126-111 victory over the 76ers.
Jordan wound back the clock to some degree, finishing with six points, an incredible 15 rebounds (five offensive) and four blocks. The 6'11" big man also finished as a +13 in nearly 32 minutes, having not averaged more than 15 minutes in any of the past five seasons.
While Looney would undoubtedly be happy for Jordan and the fact the Pelicans were able to generate just their 16th win of the season, it's another bitter blow for the 30-year-old whose NBA future beyond this year is now seriously under question.
Looney's role too had been limited, but he may have expected he might have been in the role Jordan found himself in given his fellow veteran hadn't been seen since October. Looney has made only 18 appearances this season, including only three since January 2.
During this same period, Looney has racked up 19 DNPs which included another against the 76ers. In fact, the 3x NBA champion was the only active New Orleans player not to see the court in the 15-point win.
It was better news at least for another Golden State champion, with Jordan Poole bursting to life after nine-straight DNPs before the All-Star break. The 26-year-old had 18 points on 4-of-7 3-point shooting in the second-half alone, finishing with 23 points, three rebounds and five assists off the bench in less than 25 minutes.
Looney departed the Warriors on a two-year, $16 million contract in free agency last offseason, but the second season of that is only a team option. The fact he was again a DNP on Saturday, while Jordan played over 30 minutes, is another staple in the growing likelihood that the Pelicans won't be picking up that option.