PHILADELPHIA — Three weeks ago, when the Warriors decided not to exercise his fourth-year option, Kevon Looney faced a potentially awkward situation: Would he essentially be a lame duck, forced to watch from the bench until he hits free agency next summer? That the opposite has unfolded is one of Golden State's more startling developments this season. After not playing in seven of the Warriors' first nine games, Looney has appeared in six in a row. With the NBA trending toward more small-ball lineups, the third-year forward out of UCLA has been a defensive asset, switching off screens onto guards with relative ease. Before he logged just five minutes in Thursday's loss to Boston, Looney averaged 3.