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As the first game of the preseason is fastly approaching, the starting lineup for the Golden State Warriors is starting to become more concrete. The Warriors have been a victim to injury and health issues during the entire offseason. With the absence of James Wiseman, Kevon Looney is looking like the front-runner for the starting position at center. After starting for three Looney is making a case to be the team’s first-string center for the foreseeable future. training camp practices, Looney is making a case to be the team’s first-string center for the foreseeable future.
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Looney Seems to be Part of the Plan
Joining Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the bench last season for the Warriors, Kevon Looney missed 40 games due to an accumulation of different injuries for the 2019-2020 NBA season.
The 2019 first-rounder suffered from different injuries during the regular season, including his abdomen and hip, that landed him right on the injury report. Earlier this year Looney underwent surgery repair his injuries and is now back on the court ready to make an impact following his recovery during the offseason.
After a week of preseason training camp for the Warriors, in a post-practice press conference, Looney says that he is feeling the best that he has “in a long time.” He describes that he’s feeling confident about where he’s at with his health right now.
“I feel great. It’s the best I’ve felt in a long time,” said Looney per Mercury News’ Wes Goldberg. “I’m able to compete and go hard and do extra work before and after, but no problems. I’m still doing the little things I’ve got to take care of my body right — a lot of stretching. I’m still doing the strength and rehab stuff to stay on top of things. I feel confident in my body and where I’m at right now. I’m really excited about this season.”
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Health is Affecting the Warriors
With both Draymond Green and James Wiseman most likely out for the preseason after testing positive for COVID-19, Looney’s chances to be in the starting lineup for Golden State are extremely high. In a press conference, head coach Steve Kerr said that Looney would “probably” start on Saturday against the Denver Nuggets.
“Probably. I haven’t decided yet, but I would like that,” said Kerr per Mercury News’ Wes Goldberg. “A big part of things with Loon is to see how he’s holding up. So far, he’s doing great. We really want to give him a good number of minutes to see if his body holds up and to get his rhythm back. He’s had a good camp so far.”
Although Looney is feeling no pressure to be in the startipng lineup, he us sure that he can make an impact whether he starts or comes off the bench.
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