In a jaw-dropping debut that screamed “no mercy,” new interim head coach James Borrego wasted no time shaking things up for the New Orleans Pelicans. Just 24 hours after Willie Green got the boot, Borrego faced off against the Golden State Warriors at Smoothie King Center on Sunday—and let’s just say sentimentality wasn’t on the menu.
What was supposed to be a heartfelt homecoming for Kevon Looney, the three-time NBA champ and Warriors legend, turned into a total dud. In a move that left fans scratching their heads, Borrego parked the veteran big man on the pine for all 48 minutes. That’s right: DNP-CD in his first showdown against the Dubs. Ouch.
Looney might just be the biggest casualty of this coaching swap. Not only did he lose his starting gig, but he vanished from the rotation entirely—even with superstar forward Zion Williamson sidelined by injury. After battling early-season ailments and easing back with about 16 minutes off the bench on November 2, Looney had locked down six straight starts under Green, where the Pels scraped together a 2-4 mark.
But Green’s gone, and Borrego’s first bold stroke? Yanking Looney and slotting in red-hot rookie Derik Queen to counter Golden State’s small-ball attack. It didn’t exactly pan out—the Warriors dropped a scorching 44 points in the first quarter alone. With Queen and sophomore center Yves Missi each logging nearly 25 minutes, there was zero daylight for Looney, who surely would’ve relished trading buckets with old pals like Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Embed X: https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1990246479328587820
Sure, no NBA squad hands out charity minutes, but come on—the Pelicans are floundering at a league-worst 2-11 in the West, nowhere near playoff contention. Denying Looney even a cameo against his former crew? It feels downright cold, and it’s a harsh spotlight on where the 28-year-old finds himself in his career arc.
To twist the knife, Looney didn’t even snag garbage time as the Warriors cruised to a 124-106 blowout. Maybe popping him in late would’ve felt like an insult against his old team, especially after Curry bounced with under five minutes left. Golden State had circled this one as a chance to tangle with Looney and Jordan Poole for the first time in Pelicans jerseys—but Poole’s quad injury kept him out for his sixth straight game, leaving the reunion a total bust.
From the Pelicans’ side, that two-year, $16 million deal for Looney is looking like a swing and a miss if he’s glued to the bench just 13 games in. It screams validation for the Warriors’ offseason pivot away from him—proving once again that in the NBA, loyalty takes a backseat to the grind.