One of the most unsung heroes of this Golden State Warriors playoff run has been Kevon Looney. With DeMarcus Cousins missing the first three series' due to injury and Kevin Durant succumbing to a calf injury in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, Looney has stepped up to provide vital frontcourt minutes for Golden State.

The Warriors sorely missed Looney in Game 3–which he missed due to a shoulder injury–but he returned in Game 4 looking healthy. Looney played over 20 minutes, scoring 10 points and adding six rebounds.

With Golden State hoping to stay alive in Game 5 in Toronto on Monday night, Looney will again be active and a likely candidate to receive more minutes with Cousins still struggling to find his rhythm on the floor:

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Looney's potential impact cannot be understated. Although he is not much of a scorer, he fills space very well in the half court and often springs free for easy dunks and layups off of penetration. Likewise, his offensive rebounding prowess gives the Warriors second-chance opportunities, something they desperately need with Durant still inactive and Stephen Curry failing to shoot efficiently from beyond the arc.

On the defensive side of the ball, Looney works very well against on-ball screens and has proven to be effective switching out against guards on the perimeter. His size and length bothered Chris Paul in the Western Conference semifinals, and he has had a similar impact against Kyle Lowry.

If Looney can continue to provide quality minutes, he gives the Warriors a much better chance of heading back to Oakland for Game 6.