Golden State Warriors D-grades
Kevon Looney – D+
Starting with Kevon Looney, the 6’9″ power forward that the Golden State Warriors drafted back in 2015. This season, Looney averaged 3.4 points per game, 3.3 total rebounds, one assist, 0.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks a night. The numbers don’t look great, and he only played 20 games, starting in just four of them. Looney suffered a core muscle injury in June and missed the rest of the season.
Despite this disappointing season and his injury, his recovery seems to be going well as he trained with the Warriors at the “Dubble,” Golden State’s own bubble. Coach Steve Kerr has high hopes for Kevon Looney this upcoming season. With the Warriors lacking in the frontcourt, he certainly has potential and could be a key part of the bench rotation next season.
Alen Smailagić – D+
Alen Smailagić is a 20-year-old rookie Golden State brought up from the NBA G-League after their roster became riddled with injuries. He played just 14 games this season, averaging 4.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. Despite the numbers, Smailagić does show growth potential and this is evident in his per 36 minutes stats, which brings him up to 15.3 points per game. In the small sample size of games that he has played, it’s clear that the forward has a sense of confidence that we don’t see in every rookie.
Juan Toscano-Anderson – D+
Juan Toscano-Anderson is another player brought up from the G-League. Like Looney and Smailagić, Toscano-Anderson’s low number of games is a big contribution to his D-grade. Playing 13 games and starting in six of them, Juan averaged 5.3 points, 4 total rebounds, and 1 steal per game. Anderson he one of the Golden State Warriors’ many loose ends for the upcoming season and it remains to be seen whether he will be guaranteed a spot on the roster. If he does, he will continue to represent the Latino community as the only Mexican player in the NBA.