RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 1 sourcesKevon Looney will be called upon to play an important role for the Los Angeles Lakers : back up starting center Walker Kessler and also fill in for him should he get injured. Not a lot of people are confident Looney can do anything of that at an adequate level.
Perhaps the lack of confidence Lakers fans have in him has to do with the fact that he played in just 21 games last season with the New Orleans Pelicans. But Looney has always been a very productive rebounder, and in years past, he was also a good defender who has done the dirty work his teams needed to be competitive.
During an appearance on ESPN LA radio , Looney was asked what he expects from himself this coming season, and he sounds like he's motivated to prove that he's still spry.
"I got a chip on my shoulder. I want to show that people what I can do. I want to be one of the best offensive rebounders, one of the best rebounders in the league. I want to be one of the best role players in the league. I want to bring a lot of spark to our bench and a lot of leadership. My goal every year is always to play every game and be consistent. I had a couple of injuries last year so I wasn't able to meet that goal last year, so I want to get back on the right step and prove myself all over again by showing why I'm an ironman, I'm a tough man, and I'm one of the best rebounders in the league."
Looney averaged 5.6 rebounds in 14.7 minutes a game last season, which was in line with his career average of 5.7 rebounds in 17.1 minutes a game. Prior to last season, he spent 10 years with the Golden State Warriors, where he won three NBA championships and became a regular starter by the time they won their last title in 2022.
Over the last few years, the Lakers have been lackluster at times on the boards and have had problems limiting teams to one shot. Looney and Kessler should help them improve in that department while also getting them more second-shot opportunities. This past season, Los Angeles was 24th in offensive rebounding percentage and 28th in second-chance points.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Kevon Looney sounds motivated: 'I got a chip on my shoulder'
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.