The LA Clippers have a similar roster as to what they had to work with last year, but a lot of the players are in for different roles next year.
The interesting thing is that some of their roles aren’t even going to be too different, but they’re going to be called on for a much greater workload.
Three guys in particular will be called on, and everybody knows they’re ready.
No. 3 player ready for an increased role on the LA Clippers: Luke Kennard
Luke Kennard now has a full year and a postseason with the LA Clippers under his belt.
There’s no pressure of a new team anymore, and no pressure in earning that lucrative contract he signed. Kennard played well in many instances during the postseason, and established himself all year and all postseason as a true sharpshooting threat behind the three-point line for the Clips.
He was in the top nine in three-point shooting across the entire league last year at 44.6%, and shot a nice 41.2% from deep in the playoffs this past year.
With Kawhi most likely out for significant time to start the season, there will be more three-point shots to go around. Kennard will be a major candidate to take more threes, and has proven that he can be trusted as a sharpshooter.
Look for an increased set of reps for Kennard on offense, and the veteran player will be up for the challenge. We could do a lot worse than running Kennard out there on the wing.