Luke Kennard has been a great addition for the Los Angeles Lakers as an impactful bench scorer they had previously lacked before the trade deadline. Most sharpshooters in recent years have struggled when playing under the bright lights in L.A., but that has not been the case for Kennard.
He has scored double figure points in four games so far since becoming a Laker and is coming off another impressive game on Friday against the Indiana Pacers, scoring 15 points. Head coach JJ Redick utilizes the veteran guard as a movement shooter, running actions for him to get a shot or put him in a position to make a play.
Despite the Lakers’ star power, Kennard adds another dimension to their offensive as an above 50% 3-point shooter. Now with 13 games under his belt, the 29-year-old details how he is finding a rhythm with this team.
“Just our ball movement has progressed very well over the last few games,” Kennard said. “For me, it’s just being ready to shoot if I have a shot, and if not, just keeping the offense going and not letting it stall at all. Whether that’s me driving to the paint looking for another shot, or kicking it out. Just creating opportunities and advantages any chance we can. It’s something that I feel like I’ve fit in pretty well so far and I’m excited to see where we can keep going and grow together as a group. But it’s been a lot of fun.”
Although he is leading the league in 3-point percentage, Kennard’s overall attempts are low. Luka Doncic empowered him to shoot more following Friday’s win and the former Duke Blue Devil appreciates the belief in him from his coaches and teammates.
“Yeah, it’s been great, especially coming from a guy like that,” Kennard said. “He’s one of the best scorers to ever play the game, and it just builds confidence in you as a player to play off of him. He’s gonna make the right play, obviously he draws a lot of attention on the offensive end. He finds guys, his IQ is very high level and for me, it’s just being ready to shoot the ball when it gets to me. It’s definitely a confidence builder and I’m excited to keep playing with him and see where our chemistry can grow.”
With each game, it looks like Kennard is getting more comfortable with the Lakers playing next to Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James. As time passes, hopefully he takes more shots and those increased attempts result in an even greater scoring output.
JJ Redick commends Luke Kennard for creating ‘blender’ in offense
While Luke Kennard did not address all of the Lakers’ needs at the trade deadline, he certainly adds something they didn’t previously have. JJ Redick is taking notice on the offensive end as he commended Kennard’s ability to create blender for the team.
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