OAKLAND -- After playing a total of 24 minutes over the last seven games, Kevon Looney is a couple days away from getting more playing time.
It will come in NBA Development League, however, as Steve Kerr on Wednesday said the 21-year-old forward will be assigned to Santa Cruz after the Warriors face Orlando on Thursday at Oracle Arena.
“We’re going to send Looney down Friday for a game,” Kerr said. “He needs to play.”
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Looney is averaging 2.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. Aside from a 17-minute stint in San Antonio last Saturday, when Kerr rested four regulars, Looney has not exceeded two minutes in any game since before the All-Star break. In five of the last eight games, even with the absence of Kevin Durant, Looney did not play at all.
“He just hasn’t been in the rotation, and he needs some minutes,” Kerr said. “So we’ll send him to Santa Cruz Friday and he’ll play Friday night, and we’ll see. We may keep him down there for longer. We’ll kind of play it by ear.”
The Santa Cruz Warriors play back-to-back home games Friday and Saturday against the Texas Legends, the affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks.
Looney this season has appeared in one game in with Santa Cruz, posting 18 points (8-of-13 from the field), 20 rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 24 minutes on Jan. 13 against the Salt Lake City Stars.
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