Kevon Looney of the Golden State Warriors has never been considered a bona fide NBA star, but he has been a very valuable role player.
He has played on their last three championship teams, and he has been a fixture in their lineup for the last five years or so.
Looney has gradually elevated his game, and during the regular season, he established career highs in points per game (7.0), rebounds per game (9.3), assists per game (2.5), and shooting percentage (63.0).
Through the first three games of Golden State’s first-round series against the Sacramento Kings, he leads everyone in offensive rebounds, just as he did in the regular season and in last year’s playoffs.
Kevon Looney:
— 1st in offensive rebounds this season
— 1st in offensive rebounds last playoffs
— 1st in offensive rebounds this playoffsBeast. pic.twitter.com/3K74stQvsm
— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 21, 2023
Looney has been a full-time starter for the Warriors the last two seasons, and he plays bigger than his listed height of 6-foot-9 or his listed weight of 222 pounds.
The UCLA product is a key part of their success with his ability to get them extra possessions, set hard screens, and make hustle plays.
He is the classic role player whose contributions and value go well beyond his mere statistics.
After losing Game 1 and Game 2 in Sacramento, the Warriors got on the board with a 114-97 victory in Game 3, even without Draymond Green, who was suspended after stomping on Domantas Sabonis.
Looney helped make up for Green’s absence with 20 rebounds, nine of them coming on the offensive glass, and nine assists.
If the Warriors are going to return to the NBA Finals, Looney will have to continue to play the best ball of his life, as they will have to get through some fearsome frontlines to get there.
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