SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors have scanned the box score and studied video from their loss to the Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals and saw enough to celebrate Kevon Looney’s 23 rebounds.
The Lakers likely scanned the same stat and studied the same video and came away shrugging at Looney’s 23 rebounds for at least two reasons. One, Anthony Davis also grabbed 23. Two, Looney made no attempt to join his teammates in torching LA from deep.
Which shines a light on the dilemma the Warriors face on approach to Game 2 Thursday night.
As much as they want and need Loon’s rebounds, the only way to get them is if is on the floor. But if he’s playing, his inability to pose a scoring threat will allow Davis to again turn the paint into a vault the Warriors can’t access.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr was asked Wednesday (OK, guilty) how he would feel about Looney taking a wide-open 3-pointer.
“Not great,” Kerr said with a smile.
Forward Andrew Wiggins was asked (guilty, again) if he would be surprised if Loon fired up an open 3.
Golden State Warriors
“I wouldn't complain,” Wiggins said, with a broad grin. “He deserves it.”
Coach says no, teammate says yes. The Lakers? They will continue to direct Davis to dare Loon to take a shot he has attempted only 59 times in eight seasons – only twice in the last two. He has made 10 triples in his career, with the last two coming in back-to-back games in March 2021.
The Warriors were 21 of 53 from deep in Game 1. Looney was 0 of 0.
As Kerr talks about the adjustments to be made after Game 1, it's apparent that one of them will impact Looney. He played 29 minutes in Game 1, matching Davis in rebounds while making a valiant attempt to defend the Lakers star, who finished with 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting.
What Loon did not do in Game 1, and won’t be asked to do for the duration of this or any series, is suddenly become a scoring threat capable of pulling Davis out of the paint, thereby giving his teammates a reasonable chance to get to the rim and add dimension to the offense.
Golden State’s most impressive offensive run came in the fourth quarter. Trailing 108-98 with 6:39 remaining, Kerr replaced Looney with Wiggins, with Draymond Green sliding into Looney’s center role. The “small” lineup responded with a 14-4 run that tied the game 112-112 with 1:38 remaining.
The Lakers shot 2-of-12 during that five-minute span, with Davis responsible for two of the misses. The Warriors plucked seven rebounds, the Lakers eight.
So, once again, the Warriors turned to the small lineup – with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole joining Green and Wiggins – and were rewarded with impressive results.
Might there be more of that in Game 2, even though it benches their rebounding machine?
“We faced the same issues last year in the playoffs against Memphis and in Boston and you make adjustments as you see fit,” Kerr said. “That might mean going smaller, getting a shooter on the floor. But time and score can dictate some of that.
“Every game is so different, so you just have to go in with an open mind and feel the game. Because of the nature of our roster and the makeup of our roster, it's a decision we've had to make many times over the years.”
It was this process that granted power forward JaMychal Green eight minutes, all in the second quarter, after playing all of 15 minutes in the seven-game first-round NBA playoff series against Sacramento. Green helped with spacing, draining 2 of 4 shots from beyond the arc.
That move worked for the offense, as its 33 points in the second were the highest total of any quarter. It did nothing for the defense (Lakers scored 36 points) or the rebounding (LA posted a 16-9 advantage), with J-Mike failing to snag one.
Asked after the game about the success of the small lineup, Draymond indicated that the success of the traditional lineup, which includes Looney, was less about Loon than himself.
“That's always been an advantage for us,” Draymond said. “But we're not just taking Kevon Looney out of the lineup. He's been incredible. That's not on him. If anything, it's on me.
“We have some of that. I'm sure we'll see some of that.”
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The Warriors during their golden years specialized in playing centers off the floor, but Davis’ comprehensive set of skills grant him immunity. AD in Game 1 played 44 minutes, his highest total in any non-overtime game this season.
That, folks, is easier to do when you’re able to loiter in the paint rather than chasing a scoring threat.
No doubt Kerr will unleash the smalls again. He’ll have to find a balance, even if it means less Loon, for it might be Golden State’s best chance to generate enough offense to make Davis sweat a bit more than he did in Game 1.