“They look at a physique, they say, ‘Oh, man, that guy’s tall and skinny, he can handle the ball, boom, that’s Kevin Durant’” - Draymond Green on 2-time NBA champion reinventing himself, and his early comparisons to KD
Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors have impressed throughout the playoffs and now will take on the Boston Celtics in the NBA FInals.
While the Golden State roster has featured a number of outstanding players throughout the season, another part of the roster has started to shine lately. Veteran looney" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Kevon Looney has been showcasing the ability to become a dominant big man, especially on the glass.
Looney has given the Warriors another boost to their starting lineup. Against the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals, Looney averaged 10.6 points and 10.6 rebounds while shooting 70.6%.
In an interview with Colin Cowherd, Golden State forward Draymond Green said Looney has been sensational throughout the entire year, not just in the playoffs:
"What he's done in these playoffs – and really all year, but especially these playoffs, everybody's watching – we know what he's done. And what he's done is totally reinvented himself from the player that he was coming out of high school. Now, when Kevon Looney was coming out of high school, people were comparing him to Kevin Durant.
"Now, I always get mad when people just compare tall skinny guys to Kevin Durant, because that's what everyone wants to do. They look at a physique. They say, 'Oh, man, that guy's tall and skinny; he can handle the ball – boom – that's Kevin Durant,' and I think it is the absolute worst thing that people can do in basketball."
Draymond Green praises Kevon Looney for reinventing himself
Throughout his segment with Colin Cowherd, Draymond Green talked about how Looney has been so impressive in reinventing himself as a player. Green brought up how Looney was such an impressive high school prospect and said many compared Looney to NBA superstar Kevin Durant.
In the 2022 NBA playoffs, Kevon Looney has secured 21.62% of available rebounds when he’s on the court.
That ranks No. 44 all-time for the best rebound rate in a single postseason.
@ThompsonScribe on the assistant behind the Warriors' rebounding machine: theathletic.com/3341604/?sourc… https://t.co/5zwfnTgKEN
Green then said that it's unfair for high school players who are tall and can shoot to be compared to Durant. Green is right about those comparisons, as it's become one of the quickest comparisons for any standout high school or college player.
One thing is also for sure, Looney has become a huge piece of the puzzle for the Warriors throughout the playoffs.
Looney has won two championships in seven seasons with Golden State. He will be playing in his fifth NBA Finals. He started a career-high 80 games this season, far exceeding his previous best of 34 from last season.