Kevon Looney, an established NBA veteran known for his physical screens, rebounding and championship experience, will be out for an estimated two to three weeks with a left knee injury, the Pelicans said in a team release Tuesday. The timing of the injury leaves New Orleans confronting a compressed stretch of games against Western Conference opponents while it leans on a mix of up-tempo wings and a traditional center, Jonas Valančiūnas.

“Kevon is a big part of our identity with his toughness and ability to anchor the defensive glass,” coach Willie Green said in a statement. “We’ll miss that presence, but we trust the others to step into those minutes and maintain our defensive principles.” The team did not provide a surgical timetable and described the injury as one that will be managed conservatively, with imaging and ongoing evaluations guiding any adjustments.

Looney’s value is less in box-score flash than in the subtler work that stabilizes lineups: setting durable screens, cleaning the offensive glass and communicating on switches. His absence will force coach Green to redistribute those responsibilities, most immediately to Jaxson Hayes, who has served as a rotational big and offers athletic rim protection, and to smaller lineup tweaks that may require more pick-and-roll spacing or zone looks against bigger opponents.

The gap extends beyond matchups. Looney’s championship pedigree and veteran steadiness — attributes cultivated during his long run in Golden State — translate into late-game decision-making and mentoring younger frontcourt players. For a franchise still balancing short-term objectives with long-term development, losing a stabilizing locker-room voice underscores how health can be as determinative as talent construction.

From a league-wide perspective, the injury highlights ongoing trends in roster valuation and risk management. Teams have increasingly prioritized versatile bigs who can space the floor and switch on defense. Looney is emblematic of the “glue guy” archetype whose contributions are not always captured by advanced metrics, and which can be difficult to replace in free agency or midseason trades. The Pelicans’ response will be watched by front offices weighing the cost of depth versus star payrolls.

There are also social layers to consider. New Orleans’s passionate fan base treats the Pelicans as both civic pride and a cultural outlet; injuries to recognizable, hardworking players can dampen local momentum and affect engagement. At the same time, the league’s spotlight on player health fuels conversations about scheduling, recovery resources and how teams support veterans through the ebb and flow of a long season.

For now, the Pelicans hope the absence is short-lived and managed without long-term consequences. The next fortnight will test the resilience of their rotation and the coaching staff’s tactical flexibility. If recent seasons have taught the league anything, it is that depth wins in the long run — and how teams respond to a midseason injury often tells the truest story about their championship aspirations.