NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Golden State Warriors are on the brink of elimination from the NBA Playoffs and there is no one to blame but Steve Kerr. The team goes as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson takes them but Kerr has totally forgotten about Kevon Looney. No, Looney is not an All-NBA defender and has had trouble guarding Anthony Davis but who hasn’t?
Let’s take a look at what Loney has provided the Warriors in the Playoffs so far and we may get a better understanding of what Kerr is doing wrong. Going back to the Sacramento Kings series, Looney, while matched up against Domantas Sabonis averaged 6.9 points and 15.1 rebounds in 30.1 minutes of action. The Warriors won that series 4-3.
Then, against the Los Angeles Lakers, Kerr did the right thing and kept Looney in the starting lineup for Game 1 and Looney would go toe-to-toe with Davis on the boards with 23 total rebounds and 7 on the offensive side. The Golden State Warriors would lose Game 1 by 5 points. But then Kerr set the stage for his mental error.
In Game 2, looking for more spacing on the offensive end, and someone agile enough to stay with Davis, Kerr would start JaMychal Green instead of Looney in the post. Green would contribute 15 points in just 13 minutes of action and the Warriors would win the game by 30. But Looney, after such a great first game, and dealing with an undisclosed illness, played only a little over 11 minutes and grabbed just 8 rebounds, and scored 6 points. Great call it would seem, but not so fast.
In Game 3, Kerr went looking for the same outcome but the Lakers were just too strong. Green would get the start again but this time, Kerr played him a little over 11 minutes where he managed just 4 rebounds and 3 points. Looney, on the other hand, was given a tad over 16 minutes where he mustered up 3 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in a 30-point loss.
Where Is Kevon Looney Against The Lakers
In Game 4, Kerr just did the unthinkable. He went with a small-ball lineup. Instated of Green or even Looney, he had Draymond Green in the paint and started defensive ace Gary Payton instead. While the Warriors were there till the end, Looney was still only given 11 minutes where he grabbed 3 rebounds and scored 4 points.
While this is happening on the Warriors’ side of things, Davis has continued to cause havoc on the glass. So, why is Kerr messing with something that was never broken to begin with? He’s looking for an advantage that he had all along. The Warriors are a better rebounding team than the Lakers for the simple fact that their best rebounders and defenders are also their best offensive weapons. More energy for Davis and LeBron James on both ends of the floor whereas Green and Looney are not seen as offensive threats, thus, they can focus more on rebounding and the defensive end of the floor.
What’s staggering is that Kerr is tinkering with a lineup that didn’t need it. Kevon Looney has been on a tear since the Playoffs began and just like that, he’s been delegated to cheering while on the sideline as he’s watching Davis grab board after board. In Game 4, the Warriors’ leading rebounder was Curry (tied with Draymond) with 10. What that did was force Curry to use a bit more energy on the defensive side of the ball, thus taking usage off his legs in the closing minutes when he needs that energy.
Going forward, what is Kerr and Looney to do? The small-ball approach has won the Golden State Warriors championships in the past but this is not the past and the Lakers are exploiting the Warriors for it. Kerr must make the necessary adjustments and so far, everything he’s tried has failed. It’s time to put Kevon Looney back into the starting rotation and not just for 14 minutes either. When he has the time, he does produce.
