HOUSTON -– Several members of the Warriors organization have quietly expressed serious concerns about the future of rookie forward Kevon Looney, and the reason behind their worry is now clear.
His career may be in jeopardy.
Looney on Friday morning underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left hip -– roughly eight months after having similar surgery on his right hip –- the Warriors announced in a late afternoon news release.
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The operation was successful, according to the team.
Looney, who this season appeared in five games, most recently on Feb. 25, will be sidelined from four to six months, the team added.
Though Looney recently had been working out at the team facility in Oakland, he has over the past seven weeks been consistently listed on the injury report, which indicated he was experiencing soreness and inflammation in his right hip.
The latest procedure, however, was on Looney’s left hip to repair a torn labrum.
Golden State Warriors
“As we understand these things,” one member of the organization recently told CSNBayArea.com, “if you have this surgery on one hip, it’s not unusual to also have it on the other hip.”
Looney, 20, completed rehabilitation from his first surgery in January, after which he spent several weeks on assignment with the Santa Cruz Warriors of the Development League, appearing in 12 games.
The Warriors upon drafting Looney out of UCLA last June said they were aware that he faced the likelihood of hip surgery. Because of his skill and his age, general manager Bob Myers indicated the franchise could afford to be patient.
The Warriors now have to be more patient than they initially anticipated.