Strength in Numbers:
Young Glove x Looney Tunes
June 2022
Introduction
The 2021-22 NBA season witnessed the Golden State Warriors reclaim their “Strength in Numbers” label that had undoubtedly defined the franchise over five years ago. Running with an 8-man rotation – though sometimes deeper – they proved yet again that they can find hidden gems and turn them into true contributors.
Enter: Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney.
Defense Runs in the Family
Most casual fans wouldn’t even be able to tell you who Gary Payton II was before the last few months – apart from the name recognition from his father, Gary Payton Sr., who played 17 seasons in the NBA – but real Warriors (and basketball) fans know that the Young Glove’s had a key impact on the Warriors all season long.
GPII provides suffocating on-ball defense as well as incredible spatial awareness that produces value on both ends of the court. He has a knack for being in the right place at the right time – not by chance – which generates high-percentage shots at the rim as well as live-ball turnovers that lead to fastbreak opportunities. If you’ve tuned into enough games commentated by the Warriors broadcasters, you would know that Steph Curry calls him the “tallest 6’3″ guy in the world,” and he’s right. At times, he plays like a rim-running big man and often crashes the offensive glass for second-chance points. Now let’s prove it.
Highlights: By the Numbers
The numbers back up Gary Payton II’s impact during this past playoff run as well. When he is on the floor, per-48 minutes, the Warriors score 9.1 more points off of turnovers while stealing the ball 5.3 more times than he is off the floor. They allow 10.3 less points while outscoring the opponent by 8, and fastbreak and paint points decrease by 4.5 and 5.8 points, respectively. While GPII himself isn’t a rim protector, his defensive impact is correlated with better overall team defense.
Offensive Highlights
In the first clip, GPII showcases his patience and timing as he cuts backdoor and receives an inbound pass, laying the ball up quickly to avoid the block by DPOY Marcus Smart.
In the second clip, he slips an off-ball screen before finding and filling a gap in the defense at the low block. He catches Curry’s pass and finishes over Robert Williams, the leading shot-blocker in the Finals.
Defensive Highlights
Gary Payton II’s most valuable asset is his ability to pick the pocket of any ball handler, and he did precisely that on the highest stage. In these three clips, he shuffles his feet, keeps his hands out and active without fouling, shows and recovers off the ball before closing out and staying low, and steals the ball from a great offensive player in Jaylen Brown.
The League's Newest Iron Man
Kevon Looney’s been on the Warriors since 2015, and it’s a shame it’s taken all this time for the media to properly acknowledge his impact. One of only five players in the league to appear in each of their team’s games this season (82 in the regular season, 22 in the playoffs), he’s been the Warriors’ most reliable and consistent player all year while becoming an awesome fan favorite in the Bay (criminally long overdue).
Looney is and arguably has always been capable of guarding all five positions. For some reason, opposing players still haven’t done their homework and realized that he has excellent lateral quickness for a 6’9″ big man, as he can keep shifty guards in front of him while maintaining his low defensive stance and not biting on shot fakes. He is also the best and most important rebounder on the team, helping Golden State, a team that’s really never had a ton of size or height, take on two of the top-5 rebounding teams in the league: the Memphis Grizzlies and the Boston Celtics. They ended up decisively out-rebounding the Grizzlies, culminating in a monster Game 6 performance where he grabbed 22 rebounds, 11 of which were offensive.
Highlights: By the Numbers
The numbers are pretty straightforward here. With Looney on the court, the Warriors grab more rebounds, especially on the offensive glass, and score more second-chance points while defending better as a team and preventing second-chance points.
Defensive Highlights
Looney is such a valuable defender to the Warriors that I had to include highlights from the 2018 Western Conference Finals Game 7 (sorry, Rockets fans). For those that remember, James Harden was probably the most unguardable player at the time, and although no one was shutting him out on defense, Looney did a great job defending his dribble hesitations and stepback three-pointers.
Four years later, Looney’s defense has only improved, as the clips show him locking up Jalen Brunson and Jaren Jackson Jr. Coaches should teach young defenders to move their feet and contest shots like Looney does, especially staying grounded on head fakes and getting a hand up to disrupt the shooter’s rhythm, which too many players surprisingly fail to execute. Perhaps more effort makes you a better defender, who would’ve thought?
Offensive Rebounding Highlights
Last but not least, Looney grabbed tons of timely offensive rebounds that led directly to second-chance points and high-percentage opportunities from three-point range. In these clips, Looney assists in delivering the dagger in close-out games against the Grizzlies and Mavericks, two games in which he combined for 40 rebounds all by himself.
Conclusion
Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney are two of the Warriors’ most valuable defenders – among the team’s rotation players, they actually had the two lowest defensive ratings of the playoffs (Stats.NBA.com). By the percentages, they are also the team’s two best three-point defenders and apart from Draymond Green, are the two best overall defenders as well (Stats.NBA.com).
Both players’ hard work and discipline paid off this season, and their unselfishness and commitment to the team are exactly what every front office searches for. This is a pretty common theme in the Warriors organization, which, for years, has been characterized by selfless players who set aside their ego, a coaching staff that skillfully knows how to use and maximize their entire roster, and a front office that puts the team in a truly unique position to win now and in the future. They are the blueprint, the team you want to model your team after, they’re the gold standard.