Kevon Looney became the youngest member of the Golden State Warriors when the franchise selected him with the 30th pick. Without having to truly stress over a pick, the Warriors were able to gamble a bit. They took a good player with minor health issues at a great draft position. Out of UCLA, the the 6-foot-9 forward had hip issues that needed to be addressed.
The surgery will put the rookie out 4-6 months as he will miss the first half of the NBA season. Officially, Looney underwent a successful right hip arthroscopy to repair a torn labrum.
From the Golden State Warrriors:
The procedure was performed by renowned Steadman Clinic orthopaedic surgeon and hip specialist Dr. Marc Philippon at the Vail Valley Surgery Center in Vail, Colorado.
Looney will begin rehabilitation from the surgery immediately and is expected to be out a minimum of four-to-six months before returning to basketball activity.
“Kevon has his entire NBA career ahead of him and we felt that, in consultation with our medical staff, Kevon and his representatives, it was best to address the issue now,” said Warriors General Manager Bob Myers. “He will have our complete support throughout the rehabilitation process and we are confident he will make a full recovery.”
Bob Myers is confident in Looney and his ability to get back on the court. As a first year player, he will be eager to see playing time too. Now on the road to recovery, it’s important to rehab correctly and to regain 100% health.
As a member of the Bruins, Looney was averaging 11.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. He put up 9.3 points and 7.2 rebounds in the Summer League in Las Vegas for the Warriors. When he returns, he could be a stretch four off the bench. Looney was considered a lottery talent but health concerns allowed him to fall in the draft.