Good win for the Jazz but I think the Clippers will win that series. I watched a lot of fatigue-related Ls for the Warriors this season and that's what I thought happened to the Clippers tonight. Cruised in the first half but then the 7 game series and altitude caught up with them against the fresher Jazz. Barely even saw Kawhi try to take over at the end, I don't think he had the legs. I think that might be why Lue used such a big rotation too.
Jazz definitely have one of the best playoff crowds. Hope Conley gets back soon.
What do you guys think our defense will rank without draymond? Say we had curry, Thompson, wiggins, a league average four and looney would we still be a top ten defense?
Jun 8, 2021Liked by punk basketball, Daniel Hardee
I've been a huge Looney fan for years now. It amazes me how he's continued to be one of the most underrated bigs in the NBA. I'm disappointed that those glimmers of a midrange or 3pt shot he shows here and there haven't developed into a more reliable (Zaza-esque) "you leave me, I'll cash it" shooting threat, but his defense, rebounding, and screening have all improved on their already high levels. There are precious few players in the league who can stop Harden *and* stop Embiid—where "stop" is defined as defending well enough to make them inefficient, but Looney is a member of that elite club.
There's a lot of wishful thinking in this organization about Wiseman becoming Looney++ but I think that's simplistic and probably misguided. Looney's skillset is not so easily learned or copied; aside from the very high BBIQ and nearly religious level of discipline, his frame also an important part of what makes him so effective: those comically broad shoulders and inspector gadget arms give him the ability to contest shots inside and out without fouling, and his weight and strength gives him the stability to hold his ground against all but the largest centers while still being quick enough that dudes can't step around him, either. It took a few seasons to get that balance right—remember in season 2 or so when he showed up with a crazy amount of muscle but moved too slow? I don't think Wiseman or anyone else will be able to do all the things Looney does at a similar level even a season or two from now. (Wiseman's jumper, handle, and vertical spacing are already better than Looney's though, so he can still become a net upgrade even if he's giving up some weaknesses on defense.)
I'm incredibly thankful that the Warriors organization, in their rush to duck below the luxury tax in 2020, managed to keep Looney here despite his $8mm doubtlessly looking like a necessary cut with the max contract guys eating up most of the cap room, especially with how poorly he was playing with injuries that year. And I hope he continues to be a reliable part of the Warriors rotation for years to come.
Jun 8, 2021Liked by punk basketball, Daniel Hardee
Looney is amazing. If Wiseman just provides what Looney does, but with better speed, size, athleticism, lob threat, and durability, he's already a perennial All Star. You give him a jumper and you're talking MVP candidate.
That point Dr Tom made about Looney not being a "leave him out there" center was really interesting to me and I'm glad Daniel followed up on it.
I need to process for a minute but I wonder of Looney is aging out of that? He certainly seemed to become something close to it towards the tail end of the season. Yeah it was forced by necessity but Loon had some huge games (again, great point out) against players like Embiid and Jokic )- guys that would have bad matchups before
Jun 8, 2021Liked by punk basketball, Daniel Hardee
Great article. How can you not love Looney? Best defender in NBA history with a 3" vertical leap. When he retires, he should set up a Big Man's Camp for setting screens. His physical limitations have given him one advantage over other bigs: he doesn't bite on pump fakes, ie, a shooter can't get him in the air 'cuz, well, he can't get in the air. So his ground bound defense is a clinic in footwork, positioning and well timed verticality principles where his wingspan makes itself known.
Beyond the screen setting and positional defense in the lane, plays and details that don't jump off the page when watching a game, his D in space on the perimeter against guards is mind boggling. His hedging to prevent drives and closeouts on shots are a thing of beauty. So how does a ground bound big with sloth like reflexes flummox the most dynamic scoring guards in the league? Well, I have a theory.
A one on one on the perimeter between a big and a small quickly becomes a game of cat and mouse. Two living creatures measuring each other's each and every movement, looking for the counter move, looking for the fake, looking for the opportunity to strike. Both the cat and the mouse are fast with great reflexes and this creates a great tension and much anticipation if you happen to be a viewer. The problem is, Looney is so slow of foot and general body movement, it confounds his opponent. Instead of Cat & Mouse, Looney plays Cat & Moose. Like that big ol' Moose you come across on a country road who doesn't seem to mind that he is taking up half of the road, Looney's presence just confuses his opponents. I mean, what do you do with a freakin' Moose? He's just standing there a few feet in front of you, one arm held up towards you like some giant antlers, not really moving, just this big object in the middle of the road. It looks like you should be able to easily drive around him, but your just a little mystified by him because you are wondering how he ever got onto the basketball court because he doesn't play like all the other tasty mice. Meanwhile, the shot clock has been ticking down and before you know it, your stepping back for an ill advised jumper with a big hand in your face.
So that's my theory. Looney plays Cat & Moose and the cats just don't know what the hell to do with a moose. Of course, I will have to drive up to Vancouver with my cat and a basketball to put this theory to the test. Until then ...
Jun 8, 2021Liked by punk basketball, Daniel Hardee
We'll see about the depth of loyalty if he opts out of his contract. In a lot of ways, Kerr's system, and the Warriors front court, is perfect for Looney as he doesn't have to score all that much and given his past health issues it is probably better if he doesn't have to be on the floor for more than 20 minutes per game.
Jun 8, 2021Liked by punk basketball, Daniel Hardee
What a nice article to start my day off with.
I just love watching Looney's game. Such a pleasure. I don't know that I've ever seen a player who's so consistently in the right position on the court to get the rebound, set the screen, or whatever. Rarely makes mistakes. Makes everyone around him look better. Just the epitome of a team player.
Looney is the ultimate pro. He steadies the whole team.
Good win for the Jazz but I think the Clippers will win that series. I watched a lot of fatigue-related Ls for the Warriors this season and that's what I thought happened to the Clippers tonight. Cruised in the first half but then the 7 game series and altitude caught up with them against the fresher Jazz. Barely even saw Kawhi try to take over at the end, I don't think he had the legs. I think that might be why Lue used such a big rotation too.
Jazz definitely have one of the best playoff crowds. Hope Conley gets back soon.
Pff, Stephen Curry sucks. Couldn't even win MVP. I hope he sees this.
Looney is amazing and I 100% still believe in his jumper lol
What do you guys think our defense will rank without draymond? Say we had curry, Thompson, wiggins, a league average four and looney would we still be a top ten defense?
How does Looney fare against AD? Looking at our division and conference; that's the one I possibly worry about the most
and here's the full count
> @TheSteinLine
Full MVP balloting results: Jokic gets 91 first-place votes; Curry next with five.
https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1402411588120944643
Wow, a big, slow center won the league MVP in the year 2021...
> @ShamsCharania
Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic has won the 2020-21 NBA MVP award, sources tell
I've been a huge Looney fan for years now. It amazes me how he's continued to be one of the most underrated bigs in the NBA. I'm disappointed that those glimmers of a midrange or 3pt shot he shows here and there haven't developed into a more reliable (Zaza-esque) "you leave me, I'll cash it" shooting threat, but his defense, rebounding, and screening have all improved on their already high levels. There are precious few players in the league who can stop Harden *and* stop Embiid—where "stop" is defined as defending well enough to make them inefficient, but Looney is a member of that elite club.
There's a lot of wishful thinking in this organization about Wiseman becoming Looney++ but I think that's simplistic and probably misguided. Looney's skillset is not so easily learned or copied; aside from the very high BBIQ and nearly religious level of discipline, his frame also an important part of what makes him so effective: those comically broad shoulders and inspector gadget arms give him the ability to contest shots inside and out without fouling, and his weight and strength gives him the stability to hold his ground against all but the largest centers while still being quick enough that dudes can't step around him, either. It took a few seasons to get that balance right—remember in season 2 or so when he showed up with a crazy amount of muscle but moved too slow? I don't think Wiseman or anyone else will be able to do all the things Looney does at a similar level even a season or two from now. (Wiseman's jumper, handle, and vertical spacing are already better than Looney's though, so he can still become a net upgrade even if he's giving up some weaknesses on defense.)
I'm incredibly thankful that the Warriors organization, in their rush to duck below the luxury tax in 2020, managed to keep Looney here despite his $8mm doubtlessly looking like a necessary cut with the max contract guys eating up most of the cap room, especially with how poorly he was playing with injuries that year. And I hope he continues to be a reliable part of the Warriors rotation for years to come.
Perfect backup center. Just need to go find a starting center.
Looney is amazing. If Wiseman just provides what Looney does, but with better speed, size, athleticism, lob threat, and durability, he's already a perennial All Star. You give him a jumper and you're talking MVP candidate.
Love Looney and hope he stays. Every good team needs unsung, hard-working guys who do the dirty work. Seems like a great teammate.
It's amazing he's only 25. Anyone know if his hip condition threatens his career longevity, or if it only limits his minutes per game?
That point Dr Tom made about Looney not being a "leave him out there" center was really interesting to me and I'm glad Daniel followed up on it.
I need to process for a minute but I wonder of Looney is aging out of that? He certainly seemed to become something close to it towards the tail end of the season. Yeah it was forced by necessity but Loon had some huge games (again, great point out) against players like Embiid and Jokic )- guys that would have bad matchups before
Great article. How can you not love Looney? Best defender in NBA history with a 3" vertical leap. When he retires, he should set up a Big Man's Camp for setting screens. His physical limitations have given him one advantage over other bigs: he doesn't bite on pump fakes, ie, a shooter can't get him in the air 'cuz, well, he can't get in the air. So his ground bound defense is a clinic in footwork, positioning and well timed verticality principles where his wingspan makes itself known.
Beyond the screen setting and positional defense in the lane, plays and details that don't jump off the page when watching a game, his D in space on the perimeter against guards is mind boggling. His hedging to prevent drives and closeouts on shots are a thing of beauty. So how does a ground bound big with sloth like reflexes flummox the most dynamic scoring guards in the league? Well, I have a theory.
A one on one on the perimeter between a big and a small quickly becomes a game of cat and mouse. Two living creatures measuring each other's each and every movement, looking for the counter move, looking for the fake, looking for the opportunity to strike. Both the cat and the mouse are fast with great reflexes and this creates a great tension and much anticipation if you happen to be a viewer. The problem is, Looney is so slow of foot and general body movement, it confounds his opponent. Instead of Cat & Mouse, Looney plays Cat & Moose. Like that big ol' Moose you come across on a country road who doesn't seem to mind that he is taking up half of the road, Looney's presence just confuses his opponents. I mean, what do you do with a freakin' Moose? He's just standing there a few feet in front of you, one arm held up towards you like some giant antlers, not really moving, just this big object in the middle of the road. It looks like you should be able to easily drive around him, but your just a little mystified by him because you are wondering how he ever got onto the basketball court because he doesn't play like all the other tasty mice. Meanwhile, the shot clock has been ticking down and before you know it, your stepping back for an ill advised jumper with a big hand in your face.
So that's my theory. Looney plays Cat & Moose and the cats just don't know what the hell to do with a moose. Of course, I will have to drive up to Vancouver with my cat and a basketball to put this theory to the test. Until then ...
We'll see about the depth of loyalty if he opts out of his contract. In a lot of ways, Kerr's system, and the Warriors front court, is perfect for Looney as he doesn't have to score all that much and given his past health issues it is probably better if he doesn't have to be on the floor for more than 20 minutes per game.
What a nice article to start my day off with.
I just love watching Looney's game. Such a pleasure. I don't know that I've ever seen a player who's so consistently in the right position on the court to get the rebound, set the screen, or whatever. Rarely makes mistakes. Makes everyone around him look better. Just the epitome of a team player.