Luke Kennard has been a revelation for the Los Angeles Lakers as he’s helped lead them to a 2-0 series lead over the Houston Rockets.
Kennard has been a consistent source of offense for a Lakers team that’s been without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and he’s delivered with two big playoff performances. Kennard has got a reputation as a shooter, but he has proven he can handle the basketball just as well. While the league is finally taking notice of Kennard’s skill set, he said he’s always known he could do this.
“Yeah, but at the same time not necessarily. I know what I’ve been capable of as a player,” he said after practice on Thursday. “Again, it’s not me trying to force anything or do anything totally different or out of my norm. I think I’ve been in positions like this before.
“Not for this long or amount of time, or period in a row but I’ve been in positions where on some teams some guys have been out and I’ve been asked to play a little bit more of a role and have the ball in my hands more. So I wouldn’t say I’m uncomfortable doing it. I think leading into the playoffs I developed a rhythm there in those last few regular season games that gave me confidence going into it.
“Again, it’s just not trying to do anything out of my norm or out of control but just playing within the flow of the game. Using that basketball IQ that I have, just trying to make the most of it.”
Head coach JJ Redick’s empowered Kennard to make plays with the basketball and he’s responded by keeping the offense flowing even without Doncic and Reaves. Houston has struggled to keep track of Kennard who finds ways to get open, or keeps the pressure up by moving the basketball around the floor.
Los Angeles still has a ways to go to get past Houston, but Kennard’s given the group legitimate hope that they can win this series. Kennard himself said the Lakers have to believe in what they have and so far it’s been working.
Jaxson Hayes enjoys seeing Luke Kennard succeed
Jaxson Hayes was excited to add another Ohio native in Kennard at the trade deadline, and the two have become pivotal parts of the Lakers rotation. Hayes revealed he grew up watching Kennard and is happy to see him succeed now.
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