Looney’s surgery aims to fix soreness
Warriors center Kevon Looney underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a core muscle injury, the team announced Wednesday.
Per a league source, the core muscle injury that Tuesday’s surgery corrected was what had caused the left abdominal soreness that sidelined Looney for 18 games this season. Looney, 24, is on track to return for the start of the 202021 season.
If the NBA asks the Warriors — the only team mathematically eliminated from playoff contention — to finish the 201920 regular season, Looney is not expected to be available. His focus is on moving past a disappointing season and returning to being the player head coach Steve Kerr has called a “foundational piece” of the franchise.
Looney, whose surgery was performed by Dr. William Meyers at Vincera Institute in Philadelphia, was limited to 20 of a possible 65 games in 201920 as he dealt with a neuropathic condition in his body, left hip soreness and left
abdominal soreness. In 13.1 minutes per game, he averaged 3.4 points on 36.7% shooting, 3.3 rebounds and 1 assist.
The Warriors are optimistic that Tuesday’s surgery will help Looney return to the reliable play that made him a stabilizing frontcourt presence for a couple of years. Still, there are reasons for concern. Looney, who was limited to five games as a rookie because of two hip surgeries, has a history of health problems.
If he can’t get over his injury woes soon, the Warriors might have a tough time stomaching a contract due to pay him $10 million over the next two seasons. A healthy Looney, however, would go a long way in rounding out the team’s frontcourt rotation. At the moment, Looney and Marquese Chriss are the team’s only centers under contract for next season.
Draymond Green can fill in at center in smaller lineups. Alen Smailagic, a 6foot10 rookie who is probably a year or two from being a rotation player in the NBA, can also play center if necessary.