Clippers: Expensive bench player becoming top shooter on team this year

The LA Clippers were the best shooting team in the NBA last year, and that certainly extended out to their three-point shooting.

They led the league in three-point percentage (41.1%), and had nine Clippers shooting over 40% from deep (of Clippers taking 19 or more threes in the season). A huge part of their relentless three-point barrage was having multiple players in the top nine of the league in three-point shooting.

Marcus Morris Sr. was second with a 47.3% rate and Luke Kennard was ninth with a 44.6% clip. Kennard’s always been a great three-point shooter, but he’s taking it to another level this season.

Luke Kennard has been the best shooter on the LA Clippers so far this season.

Luke Kennard went six for seven from behind the arc Monday night against the Trail Blazers, and was 8 for 10 overall.

He was the Clippers’ leading scorer with 23 points. He did this in just 24 minutes in a bench role.

Kennard has been stellar as a shooter this year, and leads the team in three-point shooting (56.3%), and is tied for the lead in free throw shooting as he is yet to miss a free throw. The only Clippers who have a higher shooting percentage than Kennard’s 53.8% are the two centers on this team in Ivica Zubac and Isaiah Hartenstein. They’re getting their buckets, but not taking jump shots consistently like Kennard does.

The numbers are telling us that Kennard is the best shooter on the team so far this season. It’s early, but it’s not even the biggest surprise. Not only was Kennard in the top nine in three-point shooting last year, but had a career three-point percentage of 40.2% even before last season.

In the two postseasons he’s played in during his career, he’s shot 60% and 41.2% from deep, respectively. He’s really built a great resume in who he is as a sharpshooter, and if he keeps this up, he’ll absolutely prove his worth as the $14 million (in average yearly contract value) player he signed to be with his latest contract extension.