The Lakers didn’t do anything crazy during the trade deadline, and management chose to make a small adjustment with the arrival of Luke Kennard in place of Gabe Vincent. LeBron James had been calling for the arrival of a real shooter for years, and his managers therefore brought him one of the best of his generation: 44% from 3-point range in his career!
For his first under his new colors, Luke Kennard played Luke Kennard with 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists in 26 minutes on 4 of 7 shots. Enough to satisfy LeBron James.
“He was excellent. Really. His playmaking was very good” estimates the forty-year-old from the Lakers. “When they stopped him from shooting 3-pointers and he went into the paint, he was able to get the ball out to offer good open shots to his teammates. The 3-point shot he takes after a timeout, in the corner, is a big shot. He’s a solid player, and we need him. »
Points in common with his coach
Coming out of Duke like Luke Kennard, JJ Redick joked about their student journey, before saying all the good things he thought of his recruit, who, like him, passed through the Clippers.
“We see his ability to read the game and create actions. He’s not a player to whom you give the ball in iso so that he can make the defense fold on his own, but he is an intelligent basketball player, who knows how to play and make the right reads.”likes JJ Redick. “His “0.5 second” mentality means that he doesn’t always have the decisive pass, but in general he provokes the defense, fakes the shot, then knocks the ball over, and that leads to something positive. For a first match with us, having only arrived yesterday, it was really very good. »
Very satisfied with his firstLuke Kennard responded to a question about this connection with Duke. The Redick method, in terms of video, is very close to what he experienced with the Blue Devils.
“When you come to a new team, you have to learn a lot of things: new systems, new people, how guys play, offensive systems and defensive coverages… Since the days of Duke, watching video has always been important. And for me, it’s been my whole career and it’s been nine years now. It plays a huge role. I studied a lot today: system calls, defensive coverages… There are still things I need to integrate. JJ guided me well, LeBron too, and Austin the same. It’s good to have guys who help you and trust you to be in the right place. »
| Luke Kennard | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | To | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2017-18 | THE | 73 | 20:02 | 44.3 | 41.5 | 85.5 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 7.6 |
| 2018-19 | THE | 63 | 22:49 | 43.8 | 39.4 | 83.6 | 0.2 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 9.7 |
| 2019-20 | THE | 28 | 32:56 | 44.2 | 39.9 | 89.3 | 0.3 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 15.8 |
| 2020-21 | LAC | 63 | 19:33 | 47.6 | 44.6 | 83.9 | 0.2 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 8.3 |
| 2021-22 | LAC | 70 | 27:25 | 44.9 | 44.9 | 89.6 | 0.3 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 11.9 |
| 2022-23 | LAC | 35 | 20:43 | 46.4 | 44.7 | 95.0 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 7.8 |
| 2022-23 | MEM | 24 | 24:35 | 52.6 | 54.0 | 94.7 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 11.3 |
| 2023-24 | MEM | 39 | 25:37 | 44.8 | 45.0 | 88.9 | 0.3 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 11.0 |
| 2024-25 | MEM | 65 | 22:39 | 47.8 | 43.3 | 89.5 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 8.9 |
| 2025-26 | ATL | 46 | 20:31 | 53.8 | 49.7 | 91.4 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 7.9 |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
