Heading into this offseason, a big area of emphasis for the Los Angeles Lakers was bolstering the center position. They were able to do exactly that by bringing in Walker Kessler via a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz and then signing backup center Kevon Looney.
Additionally, Sandro Mamukelashvili can play small-ball five in some lineup configurations. That should give the Lakers a quality rotation at the center position, and Looney recently expressed his excitement to team with a talent like Kessler, via Mark Medina of Fadeaway World:
“We can definitely control the glass. He’s a big presence in the paint. He’s an elite shot blocker. He can step outside and make a 3. He can catch lobs. He can do it all. I always hated playing against him because he’s an elite shot blocker. So being able to share the court with him will be pretty cool. Having a rim protector behind you is always great. I feel like I’m a versatile defender. I’ve always had to guard multiple positions at 4, 5 and even 3 and switching. So I’m excited. It’ll be cool to play with him and learn from him. I can also teach him some things. He’s a young guy. I’ve been competing against him for a few years. So sharing the locker room with him is going to be cool.”
How Looney will be utilized in head coach JJ Redick’s system remains to be seen, as he was used more in a mentor role last year with the New Orleans Pelicans. The former UCLA product only appeared in 21 games, starting eight of those, averaging 2.8 points and 5.6 rebounds on 41.7% from the field.
Hopefully, getting back into a winning situation can spark better production from Looney as he is used to playing on the big stage with the Golden State Warriors, where he won three championships. Luka Doncic needs good pick-and-roll chemistry with his centers and both of the Lakers’ bigs have demonstrated the ability to be great screeners on their careers.
Acquiring a lob threat in Kessler and an experienced veteran behind should hopefully garner a bit more positive results for Doncic this season. Regardless, the Lakers can expect a lot more production from their centers this season.
Kevon Looney excited to team with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves
With LeBron James opting to depart from the Lakers this summer, Doncic and Austin Reaves are the foundational pieces of the organization moving forward. Essentially, it is an entirely new team around those two and Looney is one of the newest additions that is excited to play with Reaves and Doncic.
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