Every team needs a reliable bench piece. For the Golden State Warriors, they found that bench piece in Kevon Looney, who continued to take steps forward in 2018-19.
In his first few seasons, Looney was a developmental piece who the Warriors were hoping would turn into a rotation player. He finally became that player this season.
2018-19 season averages:
6.3 points
5.2 rebounds
1.5 assists
62.5 percent shooting
Looney was able to pour in some good games off the bench coming up with 16 games of double-digit scoring for Golden State. He had a season high of 15 points in a 32-point win over the Indiana Pacers in January and over the course of the season, he become a favorite of coach Steve Kerr’s.
In the playoffs, Looney stepped his game up even more, averaging 7.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in helping the team to a fifth-straight NBA Finals. He was having a solid Finals against the Toronto Raptors, but he also suffered from the rash of injuries the team was hit with. He suffered a collarbone injury in Game 2 of the Finals after taking a hit from Raptors superstar Kawhi Leonard.
Nonetheless, as the team looks ahead to 2019-20, Looney will almost certainly play a key role in the Warriors’ plans, with DeMarcus Cousins most likely moving on in free agency. The team better hope Looney continues to his rapid development.
