There's not many positives to take away from the Golden State Warriors' thumping at the hands of the Boston Celtics on Monday night, having fallen 125-85 to the defending NBA champions at Chase Center.
With the Warriors entering a lengthy, and highly important home-stand, their uninspired play leaves little hope for them to be able to close the gap in the Western Conference playoff race anytime soon.
Kevon Looney is stepping up for the Warriors amid trade talks
After almost being entirely cut out of the rotation earlier in the month, veteran center Kevon Looney has been one of the rare players to have recently stepped up in the midst of a series of injuries Warrior injuries.
In fact, against the Celtics on Monday, Looney often seemed to be the only Golden State player on the court performing his role. The Warriors shot an abysmal 14-of-53 from the three-point line, a downturn that brought them back to earth after the team has been in the top five in 3-point percentage through the month of January. Stephen Curry shot only 33% from deep, with the rest of the team following suit in his struggles.
Draymond Green's extended absence due to back pain, illness and now a calf strain has exposed the thinness of the Warriors defense, while he and Jonathan Kuminga's unavailability has limited their productivity on offense.
Looney meanwhile, following a strong performance in their win against the Washington Wizards, posted five points, seven rebounds and one assist in over 15 minutes off the bench against the Celtics.
While these numbers do not seem significant on the surface, his productive re-emergence into the rotation has major implications for the Warriors' upcoming trade talks.
Looney interrupting trade speculation
As the trade deadline looms on February 6, the current 21-21 Warriors will almost certainly need to make a move to supplement their roster if they wish to contend for a playoff spot. After acquiring Dennis Schröder from the Brooklyn Nets early in December, the Warriors are rumored to be in the hunt for a floor-spacing center to help anchor their struggling offense.
With the recently elevated play of second-year center Trayce Jackson-Davis, it is clear that such a trade would almost certainly involve the departure of Looney, a ten-year veteran with the team.
Just a couple weeks ago, Looney was essentially cut out of the Warriors ever-fluctuating rotation, with Kyle Anderson and Moses Moody taking over many of the bench minutes in small-ball lineups. Looney saw four DNPs in a six-game stretch, and played just 50 minutes over a nine-game period
Yet with injuries to Green, Kuminga and Anderson, Looney has been forced back into the rotation where his return to form presumably makes trading him more far more complicated. Looney is shooting 59% on field goals in the month of January -- well above his season-long mark of 54.3%. While Jackson-Davis has shown his ability to make explosive plays at the rim, Looney has regained his steadiness on defense and his presence on the offensive end.
While trading Looney might still become a necessity given the state of this Warriors team, his recent play has at least earned him another look as someone who can continue to be a productive player going forward.