https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/warriors/article/Why-Warriors-Kevon-Looney-is-the-perfect-17464873.php

Reporters were escorted into the Golden State Warriors practice gym on Saturday morning to the sight of Kevon Looney and James Wiseman battling under the rim in a controlled 1-on-1 drill facilitated by the team’s big man coach Dejan Milojević.

There were times throughout the drill when Looney was easily scoring over the taller, more athletic Wiseman. He held his ground defensively and forced his third-year teammate into what some might consider rookie mistakes. But the most interesting takeaway from their post-practice reps was the teaching moments in between. When Wiseman appeared flustered, Looney would pull him aside, explain what he did wrong and show him how to improve.

Teaching moments like this, in a live competitive setting at least, weren’t possible for Wiseman last year, as the former No. 2 overall pick missed training camp and the entire regular season while rehabbing his injured right knee. Now healthy, his basketball education can get back on track. And Looney, who signed a new three-year, $25.5 million extension this offseason, can show him what it takes.

“It’s definitely a lot easier to teach somebody or learn from somebody when being on the court with (them),” Looney said. “We both play the same position, we both play in the same offense, so we both see different things on the floor. He can help me, and I can help him.”

Wiseman has a perfect teacher in Looney, a three-time champion who has pretty much seen it all at this point in his career. Looney played in a league-high 104 games last season after missing 207 games over his first six. Coming off a major knee injury, Wiseman can certainly learn a thing or two Looney about durability and body preservation. Looney knows what it’s like to be hampered by injures, but overcame his setbacks and had a career season in 2021-22. This season, Wiseman will be looking to follow a similar path.

Then, as head coach Steve Kerr explained on Saturday, there are little details of Looney’s game that would benefit Wiseman’s transition back into Golden State’s system tremendously, if the young center is willing to learn.

“Watching Loon the last couple of years has helped James,” Kerr said. “But now playing against him, he’ll be able to feel and see some of those tricks of the trade that Loon is so good with — flipping the screen, catching the ball in the pocket, dribble handoffs, all of those things Loon does to help create shots. Those are things we want James to learn how to do. And if he can get really good with that stuff, he has the added benefit of being able to catch a lob going to the rim and finishing over the top of the defense.”

Looney, 26, emerged as the Warriors’ most reliable player last season and represents the team’s present. Wiseman, 21, is supposed to be Golden State’s future at center. Sometimes in sports the old guard isn’t willing to help usher in the new, especially if it means eventually surrendering a starting role, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with Looney and Wiseman’s relationship.

Looney proved last season that he’s willing to take on whatever role the team needs him to, as long as it results in winning. The Warriors are now asking him to play the role of Wiseman’s veteran mentor, and so far it appears he’s embracing his new responsibility.

“It’s a team, so we’re always trying to win,” Looney said. “We’re going to compete every day in practice, I’m going to make him better and he’s going to make me better. ... We both have to go out there and do the dirty work and we both take pride in that and we’re going to go out there and do it at the highest level. We’re just trying to compete and show that we can be one of the best tandems in the league at the center position.”