Getty Golden State Warriors big men Kevon Looney and Otto Porter celebrate during a game against the Brooklyn Nets.
In a season that has been defined by delayed (or outright canceled) returns from injury and players moving in and out of the lineup, Kevon Looney has been Mr. Consistent for the Golden State Warriors. To date, he’s the only player to have appeared in all 76 of the team’s games.
And before his recent two-game stint as a reserve, the 26-year-old had started in every one of those contests.
So, while he may not be the flashiest baller in the Bay Area, he has an ability that’s incredibly valuable to the title-chasing Dubs — specifically, availability.
Regardless, with the NBA Playoffs tipping off in just over two weeks, Looney has been given a particularly dubious distinction by one hoops pundit searching for the soft underbelly of every team in the hunt.
Kevon Looney Is the Weakest Link
On Wednesday, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz put out his list of the weakest link for every projected postseason starting five. Despite the fact that Looney has been Golden State’s iron man this season, he was ultimately the writer’s choice for the team (albeit a reluctant one).
Wrote Swartz:
This isn’t meant to take anything from Looney, who’s become one of the NBA’s most underrated players behind his defense, rebounding and ability to play within his role in Golden State. Still, he’s limited offensively and isn’t a threat to shoot from outside 10 feet.
Throughout the campaign, there has also been a belief that the Warriors need a big man with size to contend with the likes of Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert and so on in the playoffs. Some had hoped that James Wiseman would fill the role, but he was just shut down after another knee flare-up.
As a result, it’s going to be up to the 6-foot-9 Looney to man the paint, where he’ll almost assuredly be at some kind of deficit throughout the playoffs. Unfortunately, he’s the closest thing the club has to a real center at this point:
With no Wiseman, this is almost certainly Looney’s job to keep come playoff time. The Warriors simply don’t have many other options.
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Looney on Wiseman’s Latest Setback
Again, Wiseman’s injury saga has played a key role in the Warriors being shorthanded in the pivot. And Looney was gutted when it was announced that the former No. 2 overall pick wouldn’t be returning to the court this season.
“The only thing I can say [is] it’s tough,” Looney said, via the Bay Area News Group. “But he has a bright future, he’s gonna come back better, I have no doubt about that.”
Although Looney believes that Golden State will be able to figure things out at the five spot, the big man clearly believes that the team and its fans are missing out on something special in Wiseman.
“For him to be so talented, so young, and not to really have a chance to show his talent and show his game through the injuries is frustrating.”
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