Kevon Looney’s return spoiled by Trae Young, Hawks top Warriors 104-79

Fatigue looked to be a factor as the understaffed Warriors get blown out against Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks.

Regardless of injuries or inexperience, the 2019 Golden State Warriors have battled almost every opponent that’s lined up against them. However, sometimes, the gap in talent and lack of depth outweighs the gritty effort of the Dubs. Tonight the Warriors limited rotation looked tired in Atlanta, never matching the energy of the Hawks in a 104-79 discouraging loss.

Yes, you read that correctly, Golden State only scored 79 points to the second-worst rated defense (114.7) in the NBA. 79 points scored was the lowest of the Warriors 2019 season.

Four Hawks scored in double digits, led by the sophomore star, Trae Young, who paced Atlanta with 24-points and seven assists. Rookie, Eric Paschall, was the only Warrior to surpass the 20-point mark with 24. Golden State turned in another miserable shooting night from beyond the arc, registering under 30 percent for the second straight night.

The Return of Big Loon

The Warriors got a familiar face back with the return of big man, Kevon Looney, against Atlanta. The UCLA product returned from a neuropathic injury, playing 15 minutes, tallying two points, two rebounds and two blocks. Golden State is being patient with Looney’s return, limiting his minutes until his conditioning returns to form.

Turnover City

Ball security was the biggest issue for the Warriors in Atlanta as they turned the ball over 23 times, resulting in 11-points for the Hawks. The bench unit combined for 15 of the team’s total turnovers, each member of the Warriors turned the ball over at least once. The Warriors had six more turnovers than assists (17) versus Atlanta.

The Warriors sorely missed Draymond Green tonight (rest), who served as the team’s primary ball-handler with D’Angelo Russell injured. The Warriors offense lacked any rhythm throughout the game in which every possession seemed like there was a sloppy turnover.

Hitting the Lottery

In the big picture, a loss to Atlanta could be looked at as a good thing when the 2020 NBA draft rolls around in June. Heading into this game, the Warriors and Hawks had the same amount of wins (4), with a loss Golden State’s record falls to 4-18— the worst in the NBA.

With each game in 2019, the Warriors season becomes more about the future, and if that’s the case, tonight could be looked at as a win in when it comes to the 2020 lottery order.