Golden State Warriors reserve Kevon Looney is officially listed as questionable for Game 4 of the NBA Finals series against the Toronto Raptors.
The 23-year-old forward suffered a fracture near his collarbone in Game 2, and he hasn't played since. However, people close to the situation are saying that Looney is very eager to play on Friday, regardless of his status in the injury report.
The other day @TimBontemps reported there was a chance Kevon Looney plays in the Finals w/ a fracture near his collarbone. Today he’s listed as questionable in the injury report for Game 4. Word is he’s been lobbying hard to play as the doctors believe the injury won’t get worse
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) June 7, 2019
Looney has played well for the depleted Warriors. His numbers are not impressive on paper, but the fact that he's able to step in and give guys like Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala some rest is significant for the team.
It is unclear if the Warriors will allow him to play, as they are very cautious in this stage of the season. Starting guard Klay Thompson, who suffered a minor hamstring injury in Game 2, asked the team officials to allow him to play last Wednesday but was denied due to the risk of re-aggravating his injury.
The Warriors are taking risks here. Some of their players are able to play through injuries, but they choose to sit them out because they want them to be at full strength when everything is on the line. That's a good idea if the team wins games without their key players, but a win by the Raptors in Game 4 could deal a fatal blow to their three-peat aspirations.