When the Golden State Warriors underwent their roster makeover, one of the players they did retain was backup big man Kevon Looney.
Looney has spent his first four seasons with the Warriors and he started 24 games in 2018-19 while playing a career-high 18.5 minutes and averaging 6.3 points. His role has continued to grow with the team and he expects to play an even bigger role in 2019-20 with DeMarcus Cousins gone and the center position coming down to him and newly acquired Willie Cauley-Stein.
He recently opened up on why he returned to Golden State rather than seek greener pastures elsewhere:
To get respect from those guys and your coaches is always going to be big. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to come back. I have a special bond with this team. I love the Bay Area. I wanted to be a part of something special. It’s one of those things that you can be on a different team and be with a new star and go out there for more minutes. But when you have the chance to win with people that you like, you can’t take that away.
Looney has been a part of four of the five consecutive trips to the NBA Finals and he has won two rings so it’s clear to see why The Bay area has such a sentimental value to him.
For the Warriors to remain competitive in the increasingly tougher Western Conference, they will need Looney to continue to take steps forward in his game. He has an opportunity to split minutes with Cauley-Stein and they can team up to have a solid tandem for Golden State.
