Jonathan Kuminga might be a massive loss for the Warriors, but the lapses don’t just revolve around him. The franchise should be learning its lesson this offseason.

After a second-round exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Warriors are missing the point of utilizing modern plays, as they are still pursuing the common small lineup in their rotation.

Although Warriors superstar Stephen Curry suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain during the first game of the second round that compromised his presence for the entire series, the roster matchups were utterly different, from bigs to guards that played to the advantage of the Wolves. 

Warriors head tactician Steve Kerr relied on Curry’s impact on their system, but with the small man rotation and usual big man absence, that was questioned among many fans ever since. 

As they obtained Jimmy Butler to become their backup scorer, they still fell short inside the paint. They finished the season 10th in rebounds, averaging a 50.7 rebound rate, according to ESPN’s Hollinger stats. 

Meanwhile, a reliable big man got away with the Golden State’s core that carried pure dominance in the paint in the past years.

Who’s the one that got away? Kevon Looney.

After 10 seasons, a 73-win record, and three championships, the former center Kevon Looney transferred to the New Orleans Pelicans as he agreed to a two-year $16 million deal. He averaged 4.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 0.5 blocks, and 15 minutes per game.

“The thing I’m most proud of when it comes to my time with the Warriors is the fact that I earned everything that came to me as a player,” Looney said in an article he wrote for The Player’s Tribune. “No one gave me anything, I worked for everything, and earned my stripes. There were injuries early on, some growing pains. Trips back and forth to Santa Cruz. Lots of bench minutes, DNPs, you name it. But I never stopped working. I never stopped believing in myself.”

Looney has experienced rapid growth as time goes by, which can be seen in their 2022 championship run, where he fulfilled his prominent role inside as he led the playoffs in offensive rebounds (63) and ranked third in total rebounds. 

Unfortunately, things went south during the 2025 postseason, where they had an early second-round exit, facing such adversities on the court.

“I wouldn’t say it like that, but it was anybody but me it seemed like at this point. It wasn’t no one moment,” Looney said on Warriors Plus/Minus podcast. :Even this year, probably the playoffs. We [are] going up against Steven Adams. This is what I do. They’re not really giving me the chance to really let me do what I do.:

“It’s like, ‘All right, y’all don’t trust me? I thought y’all trusted me.’ They put me at the end in Game 7, it’s like why’d we have to wait for that point?”

These two core players are concerned about the recent rotation that has affected their relationship within the franchise. Looney has made its move, as Kuminga is much-awaited. 

The 6-foot-9 big man had three championships with the Warriors, while the 22-year-old wing had one, being the second youngest player in league history to acquire a championship.