The box score may not have read too much, but Kevon Looney's impact was an underrated factor in the Golden State Warriors' Game 7 victory over the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on Sunday.
Having seen his role fluctuate throughout the season and throughout the first-round series, Looney's Game 7 minutes could now lead to even more playing time and an opportunity for the veteran center to build his value before becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
Kevon Looney could play a big role against the Timberwolves
Looney had played just 18 combined minutes in Games 4,5 and 6, recording just two points and six rebounds across that three-game span. The 3x champion saw just 11 minutes in Game 7, but as The Ringer's Bill Simmons put it on his podcast, "a loud 11 from Looney. It felt like he played like 25, only played 11."
Even if the final numbers show that Looney only had three points and four rebounds on Sunday, his ability to help negate the impact of Alperun Sengun and Steven Adams was vitally important in the Warriors pulling out the victory. Sengun and Adams had been such an offensive rebounding force in combining for 39 through the first six games, yet had just five in Game 7 despite playing nearly 66 minutes.
After Quinten Post had been a cumulative -33 across Games 4,5 and 6, there was little surprise that Steve Kerr turned to Looney over the rookie center for the do-or-die Game 7. That could now filter over into the second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, particularly given they'll face many of the same size and rebounding concerns that they faced against the Rockets.
After dealing with the Sengun-Adams combination, Golden State are likely to see more double-big lineups against Minnesota who possess the trio of Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid.
Keeping Gobert off the glass is going to be particularly crucial after the Frenchman exploded for 27 points and 24 rebounds (nine offensive) in the closeout Game 5 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. This is where Looney's value could once again come to the fore, particularly if Post can't recapture his 3-point shot after shooting just 30.6% from deep against the Rockets.
Having lost his starting role and even finding himself out of the rotation altogether at times over the past two seasons, there's a sense that Looney may only be able to garner a minimum contract in free agency. However, that could change with an impactful series against the Timberwolves, especially if it leads to a series win that sensationally pushes the Warriors to the Conference Finals.