With James Wiseman set to be sidelined with a sprained wrist, Kevon Looney was the only traditional center on the Golden State Warriors depth chart on Tuesday against the Boston Celtics. However, Looney suffered an injury of his own with the Celtics in the Bay Area.
During the second quarter, Looney exited the game locker room after rolling his ankle. The former first-round pick was later ruled out for the contest.
With a thin rotation, Steve Kerr opted to deploy Juan Toscano-Anderson in the frontcourt for the Warriors. However, Boston feasted on the glass, recording 10 offensive boards in the second half on their way to a 111-107 win over Golden State at Chase Center.
Following the game, Kerr said he doesn’t expect Looney to be available for the “next couple of games.”
No update other than sprained ankle. I don’t expect him to play the next couple of games. It was a significant enough sprain where it looks like he will be out for a little bit. We won’t know more until tomorrow. I don’t have anything else to say in terms of roster stuff. I haven’t even given that one bit of thought.
Via @anthonyVslater on Twitter:
Steve Kerr said he doesn't expect Kevon Looney to play in the next couple games. Sprained left ankle. So no centers to open the Texas road trip.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 3, 2021
According to Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle, an MRI on Tuesday night confirmed Looney’s sprain.
Via @Con_Chron on Twitter:
Looney had an MRI tonight, which confirmed his sprained ankle.
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) February 3, 2021
With Looney likely out and Wiseman’s wrist injury slated for reevaluation in 7-10 days, it looks like the Warriors will be without a center for an extended run.
Even if the Warriors opted to sign a free agent big, the new addition would need to pass six days of negative COVID-19 tests before joining the rotation. Golden State’s immediate solution will be an in-house option between Toscano-Anderson, Draymond Green and Eric Paschall. Kerr will have to get creative without a true center in the rotation.
The Warriors will start their small-ball stretch with a Texas four-game road trip that features a pair of two-game series against the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs.
[lawrence-related id=34447,31993,34429]
[listicle id=34454]