The LA Clippers added Luke Kennard this offseason. What does he bring to the team?
After getting bounced out of the NBA “bubble playoffs” in the 2nd round, the LA Clippers looked to improve their roster by adding some offensive punch. Enter Luke Kennard, former Duke standout and 2017 first round draft pick of the Detroit Pistons.
Before I profile Kennard and the value he will add to the Clippers, I should preface this by stating I’ve never been a huge fan of Kennard, only because of the players who were drafted “after” Kennard was chosen with the 12th pick in the 1st round by the Pistons.
Kennard was drafted ahead of two players who are among the best young studs in the league. Those players are Donovan Mitchell and Bam Adebayo. However, because the NBA draft is an inexact science, I certainly can’t hold that against Kennard. Markelle Fultz was drafted #1 by the 76ers, and Frank Ntilikina for gosh sakes was chosen by the terrible Knicks at #8 in that same draft!
So I’ll take my biased opinion of Kennard out of the equation and let Clippers fans know what they are actually getting.
In Kennard, the Clippers are getting a guy, when healthy, can provide much-needed buckets for the Clippers coming off the bench. Last year, up until the time Kennard was injured with tendinitis in both knees, Kennard had career-high averages of 15.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game with Detroit.
Kennard is a very efficient scorer who can knock down the 3-point shot. An underrated part of his game is that he can also hit the mid-range shot and also drive to the rim on a secondary fast break. Landry Shamet, who the Clippers gave up in the 3-team deal with Detroit and Brooklyn, struggled in those two latter categories.
Defensively, I would consider Kennard as just okay. He won’t lock anyone down one-on-one, but he is a smart defender who moves his feet pretty well and frequently gets himself in good defensive positions.
The Clippers, however, did not bring in Kennard for his defensive abilities. He will be asked to come off the bench and provide instant scoring once Kawhi Leonard and/or Paul George gets a blow.
Luke Kennard is simply a very smart, consistent, and efficient player who is going to give the LA Clippers exactly what they’re looking for. As long as he stays healthy he will be a valuable piece to the Clippers basketball puzzle.