Coming out of college in 2015 as the 30th pick in the draft, expectations were tempered for the Warriors’ Kevon Looney. The former five-star prospect has dealt with recurring hip injuries since he was drafted, requiring two hip surgeries in two years.
This has caused Looney to play just a combined 58 games in his first two NBA seasons and has severely limited his impact on the court when he has seen playing time. On a stacked Warriors lineup that means very little time on the hardwood for Looney and with better options off the bench, his days with Golden State may be numbered.
Marcus Thompson of The Athletic told Murph & Mac Thursday that Looney could very well be on the way out due to his injury history and inconsistent play.
“Get your heart ready for his departure,” Thompson said. “Don’t be surprised by this. I think Looney is hanging on by a string. The only reason he’s still on this team is because his contract was already guaranteed. Part of them [Warriors] are still like ‘But he’s still so young, let’s see what he can do.’ He just hasn’t been in shape and he hasn’t shown much.”
Thompson said that the biggest issue Looney has is that his lack of shooting ability and conditioning severely limit his role in the Warriors’ high octane offense.
“He’s a big who can move a little bit in short spaces, but he can’t shoot,” Thompson said. “Bigs who can’t shoot are just a problem for the Warriors. Look at JaVale, he’s got 12 minutes max because if you can’t shoot it kind of messes up their operation if you are confined to one area on the court. I think they are going to give him another shot. Are you in shape, can you physically be ready to run and can you produce. But he’s got another youngster, Damon Jones, who’s kind of ahead of him in that slot because he’s more polished and so he’s got to battle with Damon Jones for that last spot. I don’t think Kevon Looney if going to win this battle. I haven’t seen it and I don’t see it.”
Listen to the full interview below. To hear Thompson’s comments on Looney skip to the 7:02 mark.
