Although Golden State Warriors big man Kevon Looney is up and ready to play after his bout with several injuries, Steve Kerr opted to sit him out in their loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

According to the head coach, Looney — whom he called a foundational piece — is still “struggling to get his game back.”

Apart from this, Kerr pointed out that the mission this season is to develop their other players, those whom they know little about. Being that Looney is a “mainstay” for the team, Kerr said that the imperative is to keep him healthy.

Kerr noted that Looney has a chance to get his mojo back through off days, practices and scrimmages. Moreover, the 54-year-old coach emphasized that the Warriors will try to be creative in this endeavor.

To recall, Looney played in the Warriors' opening day loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in October. After that, he missed more than a month due to chronic pain that stems from damaged or injured nerves which affected his shoulders. Come December, Looney played seven games where he averaged 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds across 11.4 minutes.

It has been the toughest season for the Warriors in recent memory. From being the most feared team in the NBA for the last five years, the Dubs have become the most pitied.

But amid all this, Warriors fans should never lose hope. They merely lost their stars and key players to injuries. Once they become healthy, there's a good possibility that the team will dominate once again.