OAKLAND–Even though early November games are hardly important for the Golden State Warriors, head coach Steve Kerr took a gamble by resting veteran post player David West.
Kerr said that he’ll rest veterans like West, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston regularly this season, but with a matchup looming against the Miami Heat and center Hassan Whiteside, Kerr knew he was leaving his bench short of a valuable contributor.
It turns out, it didn’t matter.
The Warriors’ fourth-year head coach placed his trust in third-year center Kevon Looney, and the UCLA product turned in one of the best performances of his young NBA career over 17 minutes on the floor in Golden State’s win.
“I thought Looney was fantastic,” Kerr said. “He’s not, he doesn’t jump out at you athletically, but he’s really smart, and he’s really long. He’ll get switched onto a guard and the guard goes into dribble-drive trying to get it past him, he’s hard to get around and then you pull up for a jumper and you think you’ve got space and he closes space with those long arms. Looney was great, the second unit came in and everybody was ready.”
Looney was part of a Warriors’ rotation that featured 11 players to finish with double digit minutes, and part of a defensive effort that limited the Miami Heat to just 80 points in a 97-80 victory.
“Looney was tremendous tonight,” Kerr said. “Defensively and staying in front of people and protecting the rim. It’s really fun to see him playing well and emerging and I just like the way we stayed with it against a tough team. Miami does this every game. They compete, they’re one of the toughest teams in the league.”
The Warriors’ regulars credited Looney, rookie Jordan Bell and other backups like Omri Casspi and Pat McCaw for the intensity they brought to the floor off the bench, and said Golden State was able to limit Miami from start to finish thanks to a stable defensive effort. After Monday’s victory, Kevin Durant cited Looney’s ability to fill in for West as one of the primary reasons Golden State didn’t miss a beat defensively, and said having another big man who can switch with ease is a “luxury.”
“D-West didn’t play tonight, he rested tonight, and Loon came in and gave us some unbelievable minutes so I’m happy for him,” Durant said. “Jordan Bell, Casspi, a lot of guys came in and filled in for D-West and did a great job.”
Durant said he’s not surprised Looney has played well off the bench to start the season, because the 6-foot-9 center worked hard over the summer to drop weight and prepare his body for the rigors of the regular season. Now, Looney has begun reaping the rewards of his labor, and it’s paying dividends on the defensive end of the floor.
“I’ve seen Loon this summer as far as like July, maybe August, he looked great, his body was great, he lost a ton of weight and was moving well and so I knew he was going to come into camp with a lot of energy and be ready to play,” Durant said. “So whenever coach throws him out there, he’s wise beyond his years because it feels like he always makes the right play. He’s always in the right spot and he just plays hard every time he’s out there so that’s a true professional. Didn’t really play the first two years in the league but now coach is throwing him out there and making huge plays, especially on the defensive end.”