A lot of sharpshooters have struggled playing under the bright lights with the Los Angeles Lakers in recent years, but that has not been the case with Luke Kennard.
The Lakers’ trade deadline acquisition has been one of the best shooters in the league throughout his career, and that has continued in purple and gold. In 14 games with the team, Kennard is averaging 10.4 points while shooting 59.8% from the field and 51.1% from 3-point range.
A big reason for that is the open looks Kennard is getting playing next to Luka Doncic, as well as LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
After practice on Monday, Kennard spoke about that and how he always envisioned it being the case playing next to elite playmakers.
“For sure. There’s players in the league you go up against where it’s like, damn, it’s pretty special what they can do,” Kennard said. “Just playing against Luka, I’ve played against him for a while now and in the playoffs, you see how open guys have been from the 3-point line, especially in his time in Dallas when I played against him with the Clippers. He just generates so much activity for us and open looks. It’s definitely something you think about like, ‘Man, I wish that was me there getting those open looks.’ But now, it’s a reality and it’s been great.”
Kennard expected to get these type of shots when he was acquired by the Lakers, but the results so far have exceeded those expectations.
“Yeah. Even more,” he said. “It’s like, when you’re around him every day, you’re seeing what he’s doing. Obviously when I wasn’t on his team, you still see what they do and what they can do, and then you see it when you play against him. But now, every day it’s pretty special being a part of it. Yeah, it’s been more than what I expected. For sure.”
Overall on the season, Kennard is shooting 50% from 3 in 60 games with the Lakers and Atlanta Hawks. That is a very tough threshold to reach for a full season, but Kennard has a chance to do it.
“I think it’ll kind of even out at the end of the day, but it would be really cool if that happened,” Kennard said. “But at the same time, it’s just trying to get attempts and just being aggressive in that aspect. Whatever happens, happens.”
JJ Redick impressed with Luke Kennard’s all around play
Luke Kennard is showing that he isn’t just a spot-up shooter with the Lakers as head coach JJ Redick has been impressed with the other aspects of his game as well.
“I thought he was a really good shooter at Duke,” Redick said. “He’s developed into an elite shooter and really just a fantastic playmaker. And I think the gravity of his shot, both from a spacing standpoint and from a blender standpoint, so the overreaction to the threat of his shot when he gets the ball just allows him to touch the paint for us, allows him to get the blender started.”
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