Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from Game 3 vs. Spurs

2. Looney looking like Kerr’s center of choice

Before the season, the Warriors declined Kevon Looney‘s fourth-year contract option. It was the right decision at the time. Looney had shown very little through his first two seasons, and that was only when he was healthy enough to be on the court at all.

While Bob Myers may want to reverse that decision at this point, regret is a terrific outcome here. Looney was extremely useful at times during the regular season, and has improbably emerged as Kerr’s go-to option at the 5 this postseason.

He is fifth on the team in minutes, trailing only Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala. Given Looney’s all-around contributions, it is hard to question Kerr’s preference of him over JaVale McGee, David West, Zaza Pachulia and Jordan Bell.

That doesn’t make it any less shocking. Looney looked to have a niche role at best entering the season, serving as the “speed 5” in the vein of James Michael McAdoo. In other words, he couldn’t shoot, protect the rim, score inside or playmake, but he could kinda run the floor and switch.

In reality, Looney has been excellent at running the floor and switching, while also becoming quite capable as a rim protector. He’s the most reliable defender in space of all the Warriors’ big men, and he can make things happen with his length and anticipation (1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game through three games).

He has also been the team’s best offensive rebounder thus far, and is a capable finisher out of the pick-and-roll. Even the handle and jumper he has flashed have been impressive.

He finished Game 3 at +17, second on the team to Durant.

Maybe Looney is motivated by his impending free agency. Maybe he’s finally healthy, or maybe he just figured it out. The Warriors wish they had him locked up for next year, but they’ll take his 21.3 high-quality playoff minutes per game over future certainty.