Atlanta Hawks: 8 Big Men Free Agents Hawks Should Sign
By Chris Guest
Kevon Looney
We have previously outlined why Kevon Looney would be a good fit on the Atlanta Hawks, but it bears repeating. Looney was drafted with the final pick in the first round by the Warriors in the 2015 NBA Draft and despite being in the league for four years, Looney is still only 23 years old.
That youth means that Loon could slide in easily onto the Hawks’ youth-oriented core.
Beyond that, Looney’s good size (6-foot-9, 220 pounds, 7-foot-4 wingspan) means that he can play as both a conventional rim protector at the five, or slide his feet on the perimeter and switch across multiple positions.
According to Cleaning the Glass, Looney was one of the most effective players on the Warriors this season as the team’s +6.9 point differential with him on the court was fourth behind only superstars Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. That +6.9 differential was better than Andre Iguodala’s, Klay Thompson’s and DeMarcus Cousins’s. Not bad for a 23-year-old center!
An excellent offensive rebounder, the Warriors’ offensive rebound rate jumped by 8.4 percent per Cleaning the Glass when Looney was on the court – in the 99th percentile of all big men – and the team scored a whopping 8.3 more points per miss when Looney was on the court rather than off.
With a defensive pedigree and the proven ability to improve on good teams, which the Atlanta Hawks hope to be soon, Looney would be a great fit. Don’t forget, Travis Schlenk was an assistant GM for the Warriors when Loon was selected, so that has to count for something!