Warriors’ Looney tries to parlay rebounds into rotation spot
Warriors’ Looney tries to parlay rebounds into rotation spot
“I was like, ‘I’m going to make that my claim to fame,’” Looney recalled after the Warriors’ practice Tuesday at UC San Diego.
[...] entering his second NBA season, the 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward hopes his penchant for boxing out will help him earn a rotation spot on the league’s deepest team.
Looney, whose rookie year was derailed by two hip surgeries, is averaging 5.8 rebounds in 13 minutes per game this preseason.
With Draymond Green and David West resting Saturday in Las Vegas, the UCLA alum who left the Bruins after one season delivered a balanced performance — seven points, nine rebounds and four assists — in his first professional start.
Head coach Steve Kerr, intrigued by a player who appeared in only five games last season, will track Looney closely in Golden State’s final two preseason games.
The one constant throughout his nascent career, from five-star recruit to draft-day surprise, has been his rebounding ability.
Even during pickup games in elementary school, he seemed to know where the ball would land when it left the shooter’s hand.
By the time he declared for the NBA draft in April 2015, he was considered a potential lottery pick.
An ESPN.com report surfaced the morning of the draft indicating that Looney, who had undergone hip surgery before his freshman season, probably would be sidelined his rookie year.