SAN FRANCISCO — When you think about the Golden State Warriors and all of the success they've had, you think about Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green. They're responsible for a lot of the Warriors' success, but there is another player who should be mentioned with them: Kevon Looney.
The Warriors' center wasn't playing significant minutes for most of their second-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies. But Looney was back on the floor for tipoff Friday night, a decision that was made by acting head coach Mike Brown after Green and Curry suggested it leading up to Game 6.
Looney's presence made all the difference for Golden State in its hard-fought, series-ending victory. After the game, Green explained why he felt the Warriors' change to the starting lineup was necessary.
“I just thought we were getting physically dominated,” Green told ClutchPoints. “I know the worry was on the offensive end and just how they guarded, but we were getting dominated from the start.”
The Warriors struggled on offense again in Game 6, but compensated by owning the glass. Looney established his dominance in the first quarter by grabbing 11 rebounds. This trend continued throughout the game. He finished the game with 22 rebounds, half of which came on the offensive end, and the Warriors out-rebounded the Grizzlies 70-44.
In the fourth quarter, Looney was exhausted, but he finally got some help from his teammates. Thompson and Curry knocked down shots late and put the game away for good. But Looney was the glue that held things together, and that's precisely what Green and Curry knew he would do.
If Looney wasn't in the lineup, there's a strong possibility this series would've shifted back to Memphis for a do-or-die Game 7. So next time you think about the valuable players on this Warriors roster, don't forget to mention Kevon Looney.
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