The Warriors’ big man, Kevon Looney, is aiming for career-highs in points (7.0), rebounds (9.1) and assists (2.5) in 62 games this season.
The 27-year-old has cemented himself in Golden State’s rotation, posting a career-high 23.4 minutes per game in his eighth NBA season, and his improvements haven’t gone unnoticed by Bob Myers, Warriors’ president of basketball operations and general manager .
“I can’t sit here and say Looney is our best player but I can say how great he’s been this year and how much we’ve had to lean on him and how solid he’s been and how much he’s improved,” Myers said Wednesday on 95.7 The Game “Steiny & Guru”. “He keeps improving every year. His finish was great this year. His rebound is elite; it was always…
“I think if you talk about who we could lean on and who was healthy, he was fantastic. He really has. And he deserves it. And he took the turtle path to where he is. A lot of people want instant success. Looney’s had to grind him down every year, but I don’t think he had the respect of his peers at all [and] The respect of his teammates has never been higher. And he was really good.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr joined Myers in praising Looney’s improvement in performance, particularly over the past two seasons when he was a different player.
“I think over the last two years he’s gotten so much better on the glass and finishing on offensive rebounds,” Kerr said on KNBR 680’s Tolbert & Kolsky on Wednesday. “[Looney] I just figured out the footwork required to dodge a shot blocker, using his body to shield the shot blocker so his numbers are better than ever.
“But it’s no coincidence [with] the work he puts in. It’s the progression of all those years and years and the continuity that comes with being with a team and a group of teammates.
Looney was drafted 30th overall in 2015, and it’s been slow progress to where he is now. As a result, Kerr believes the UCLA product is a perfect example for the Warriors’ young players.
“Loon is just the ideal guy to show young players like, ‘Hey, it’s taken him several years to make an impression,'” Kerr continued. “So be patient, but work. I say that to our young people. You have to find that balance between urgency and patience. You have to work urgently, but you have to be patient. And that’s what Loon did, and he’s being rewarded for it, and so are we. He’s just so important to our team.
RELATED: Warriors, not Nuggets or Suns, named Western Conference favorites by NBA exec
Looney hopes his bigger role will help the Warriors advance to the NBA playoffs and repeat as champions.
Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast