Four flashy superstars or not, the Golden State Warriors have a weakness that stands out like a juicy pimple on the side of your neck.
Steve Kerr is theoretically coming into the 2016-17 season with less frontcourt depth than he did a year ago, which is frightening because it’s a major reason why the Cavaliers came back from a historic 3-1 deficit.
Andrew Bogut’s injury, Festus Ezeli and Anderson Varejao’s play and Draymond Green’s suspension all led to the stunning 3-1 collapse in the NBA Finals. Zaza Pachulia and Davis West on paper seem like they’ll be fine, but any Warriors fan convincing themselves the pair is a tremendous upgrade should check themselves.
*Cue ESPN’s 30-for-30 music*
What if I told you that there was answer to the Warriors’ big man problem; that he was young and athletic; that he was a defender and a rebounder; that nobody would even recognize him walking down the streets of Oakland.
What if I told you Kevon Looney could be the hidden reason behind the Warriors winning the NBA Finals in 2017?
Behind chemistry between Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, Golden State’s biggest preseason development was Looney. Steve Kerr now has a sense of what the 6-foot-9 power forward can bring to the Warriors. And all of it is much needed.
When he was originally drafted in 2015 out of UCLA, Looney’s skill set included a face-up game and corner shooting. It appears the Warriors have shifted his focus solely to mostly underneath. Looney was making sweet music in the post in the preseason, ripping down offensive boards, running the floor and adeptly knowing when to stay out of the way when the Warriors were in freelance mode on offense.
I know what you’re thinking: slow your roll, Jones. It’s just the preseason, and after missing the entire 2015-16 season following hip surgery, Looney is essentially a rookie. There’s no way you can count on him coming in and making a difference between a Larry O’Brien trophy or unbelievable heartbreak. He’s just a 20-year-old kid.
But then I’ll say you’ve forgotten what transpired in Games 5, 6 and 7 of last year’s Finals. Cleveland started poking the Warriors in the chest by dominating down low. Tristan Thompson had 31 rebounds in Games 5 and 6; Kevin Love had 14 in Game 7. When Draymond was lured out of the post defensively, the Cavaliers owned the boards. They exposed this Warriors flaw and won a title.
Pachulia’s established, but it’s noticeable how stiff he is in this offense compared to Bogut. Sure, JaVale McGee is the snazzier name and West has more experience in big postseason moments. Of course there’s still Kerr’s unflappable favorite, Varejao, and James Michael McAdoo (who is the same exact height as Looney).
But if Looney keeps progressing like he has in October, he’ll be the button Kerr will have to push nine months from now to counter Cleveland’s front line — which also added Chris ‘Bridman’ Anderson. The Warriors can’t let another championship slip away playing the wrong big men at the wrong times.
If you’re still not convinced, I understand. But watch some of the tape of the first preseason game against the Lakers and you’ll see Looney stonewalling Julius Randle on a fast break. You’ll see Looney slithering around box outs. Most strikingly, he can guard smaller more athletic forwards in the Warriors’ switching defense — much more so than any of the other bigs. Durant and Looney can play the four and five together on defense. His minutes could skyrocket solely because of this.
I don’t mean to use this as a scare tactic, but there are parallels to the San Francisco Giants’ bullpen problem and the Warriors’ big man issue. At season’s end, Bruce Bochy was flipping coins with his relievers, letting each only face one batter at a time. It was a disaster for both the manager and the pitchers involved. Nobody had confidence.
Think of Looney as the Warriors’ Derek Law this season. Watch him progress as the season unfolds and you should end up confident when he has the ball in his hands late in the game.
Now it’ll be up to Kerr to ride with the right big man when it matters most.