Kevon Looney may not be a regular part of the rotation next season for the Los Angeles Lakers, but when he is, the veteran center sounds excited to do the stuff Luka Doncic is looking for from a big man. That starts with executing a successful two-man game with the Lakers superstar.
Looney told Mason & Ireland of ESPN LA in an exclusive interview: "I'm excited to be on this team and be able to learn from him and be able to play pick and roll. ... He's probably the best pick and roll player in the league."
The new Lakers center is right on the money. Few, if any, can truly rival Doncic out of the pick and roll. Luka can take advantage of switches, creating mismatches for himself and scoring the basketball. Looney setting a bruising screen would greatly aid that effort.
Doncic is also more than capable of finding his big man or even his perimeter shooters with picture-perfect passes that lead to easy scoring opportunities. Granted, Looney is not exactly the type of aerial threat Luka does best with at the center spot. The Slovenian superstar will need a little creativity to help overcome his new big's more grounded game.
That is where Doncic and Looney learning from each other comes in, to the latter's point in the interview. The 30-year-old sounds more than willing to adapt, grow, and bring what is needed for Luka and the Lakers to succeed.
Kevon Looney is delivering on being a low-maintenance role player for LA
The pair of ESPN LA hosts also asked Looney about the type of role he is expecting for the Lakers next season. The former champion described it plainly.
"Filling that backup center role, being a veteran for this team, and bringing championship experience to the team."
There is a selflessness to the way Looney has carried himself ahead of the upcoming season. The veteran big man is understanding of where he stands within the pecking order of the roster and sounds readily willing to maximize the minutes that do come his way.
Looney never projected to be a headache for the Lakers or Doncic. For someone who has stuck around in the league as a serviceable role player as long as he has, his arrival to Los Angeles came with expectations of embracing exactly what he has in his comments.
The Lakers may still want to add another big man beyond Looney. If they do ultimately opt against that, they at least have someone who is willing to do what the team asks of him in his minutes on and off the court.
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