It is true that no one can dislike good-ol’ Loon. He remains an elite rebounder and a top-of-the-line screen-setter (beware, you small guards out there!), but is Kevon Looney actually what the Los Angeles Lakers need at backup center?
Funny enough, the Lakers’ biggest move of the offseason was the addition of rising star big man Walker Kessler. Yet here we are, less than a month away from the regular season, and arguably the Lakers’ biggest need is at the center position. Still, that is not to underestimate just how significant a move the sign-and-trade for Kessler was.
“We should first acknowledge the danger of not making this move. Let’s say the Lakers settled on a shorter-term solution at the position,” The Athletic’s Dan Woike wrote. “That could have sent a message to Dončić that his priority didn’t align with the team’s. That even if the center market wasn’t great. That Dončić would need to wait longer for a real answer that might not ever come. That stuff is all true.”
Lakers Nation is Hyped to Watch Kessler, But He Has Little Backup
If Looney was the Lakers’ third-string center, some might have argued that the Lakers have the best frontcourt depth in the NBA. Instead, L.A. sits here with just one big man who can play big minutes … and the season starts in what, less than four weeks now? Not only is Looney not a player the Lakers can bank on to back up Kessler, but they need to pull the trigger on another move, argues Lake Show Life’s Tyler Watts.
“The Lakers signed Loon to a one-year veteran minimum contract in free agency,” Watts wrote. “They needed a reserve big man, but the 30-year-old isn’t the answer.He averaged 2.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 14.7 minutes per game last season for the Pelicans. New Orleans wasn’t contending as Looney struggled to stay in the rotation. He rated as a replacement-level player by VORP, and the Pelicans had a negative 8.1 net rating with him in the game. They were 4.8 points per 100 possessions better without him.”
If those numbers aren’t enough to shake the Lakers, then surely the eye test will.
“Loon has seen his minutes and production decline for three straight (seasons),” Watts added. “The Warriors moved on for a reason. The 6’9 big man helped Golden State win three championships. They weren’t cutting bait for the fun of it. Looney’s declining and can’t be an every-night part of the rotation. He’s not the only one.”
Can Looney Hold Things Down for L.A. Until the Trade Deadline?
It isn’t totally practical to expect the Lakers to add a backup center this deep into the offseason. Had they felt there was a path to acquiring someone — players like Milwaukee’s Jericho Sims and Chicago’s Jalen Smith have been mentioned as potential targets since July — the Lakers would have gotten a deal done by now.
That leaves us with the big question: can Looney provide serviceable minutes as the backup center until the trade deadline?
It is not like the Lakers will go out and land Nikola Jokic in February — they only have one first round pick swap and a few second rounders to trade — but they could acquire a player of that Sims/Smith ilk.
The bottom line is that L.A. can’t enter the playoffs without another big man who can consistently log at least 15 minutes per game.
Lakers Urged to Dismiss 6’9″ Monster Rebounder: ‘He’s Not the Answer’