How Looney transformed for Warriors
Once compared to a young Durant, he instead morphed into a center
SAN FRANCISCO >> Warriors center Kevon Looney hasn't made a 3-point shot in three years. He has tried only twice. Even a mid-range jumper from the big man is seen as a surprise.
But that doesn't mean Looney can't shoot.
As the Warriors look to retool following a disappointing postseason, is it possible that Looney could take on an expanded role in the Warriors' offense next season?
“There's still a lot I can do with the ball, shooting, a lot of things,” Looney said recently. “It depends what's called for.”
Larry Harris, the longtime Warriors' assistant GM and former GM of the Milwaukee Bucks, remembers seeing tape of Looney in high school. Before Looney became a 6-foot-9 center capable of boxing out some of the strongest big men in the league, he was a skinny, 6-foot-9 guard who scored 45 points in his final game for Milwaukee Hamilton High.
Harris can easily envision Looney one day becoming a guy who doesn't just get rebounds and dish the ball back to the perimeter, but can also create his own shot and fill up the stat sheet.
“I think it's there,” said Harris. “I think he can be a face-up jump shooter. He can make 15-to-18-foot jump shots. And if he took the summers and just shot 3s, I think he could eventually be a 3-point shooter. That's up to him to be able to do it. Because I've seen it. I know it's there. It's not like he can't shoot anymore. I know.”
Back in Looney's hometown, coaches in high school basketball circles once referred to Looney as “Baby Durant.” They are stunned that the highscoring guard turned out to be one of the most physical centers in the NBA.
“I thought he was going to be more offensive-minded,” said coach Dave Mlachnik, whose West Allis Central team ended Looney's high school career in 2014. “I thought he was Kevin Durant, man. The way he was in high school, the way he shot it and got his own shot, I thought he was going to be Kevin Durant.
“That's no cut on him — I love him so much. Seeing him battle the bigs he does, being undersized, going against those guys and still coming up with rebounds, offensive rebounds, it's just his tenacity.”
In Southern California, the former UCLA coach who scouted Looney, David Grace, said he can still envision the offensive-minded Looney dribbling the ball up the court as a legitimate scoring threat at UCLA.
Steve Alford, the former UCLA head coach said Looney was a “stretch four” for the Bruins, meaning he had the size to play power forward but also had the skills to bring the ball upcourt and shoot from the perimeter.
“He was a good rebounder but he was also a good scorer,” said Alford, now the head coach at Nevada.