LA Clippers’ Luke Kennard earns expensive deal, puts Lakers in their place
By Evan Desai
When Luke Kennard received a 4 yr/$64 million contract extension ($56 million guaranteed) with the LA Clippers, many were critical of the move.
He was averaging 9.8 points per game in his career, and he wasn’t known for elite defense either. Everyone knew he could shoot, but was it worth $16 million a year?
As we played last season, many left the year still pondering the move. He averaged the lowest amount of points per contest (8.3) since his rookie year.
This year, however, he began to look really sharp in the more opportunities he was getting. He was passing the eye test, putting up 10 points per game, and hitting 41.7% of his threes despite being relied on to take tougher shots this year with sharpshooting Kawhi Leonard injured. Friday night’s game against the Lakers was a major opportunity for Kennard to make a statement, and he delivered.
The LA Clippers may not have beat the Los Angeles Lakers without Luke Kennard.
It’s not just that Luke Kennard scored 19 points in 24 minutes for the LA Clippers. Nor is it that he drained 7 of 10 shots, and 5 of 8 from three.
It’s that with less than two and a half minutes left in the contest, Carmelo Anthony hit a trey to put the Lakers within one of the Clippers in a long, hard-fought, competitive game. But with 1:13 left, Kennard drained a three to put the Clippers back up four, at a score of 113-109. Kennard was clutch.
The Lakers then fired back with a bucket to get within two. With 37.5 seconds left in the game, however, Kennard sniped another beauty from three. Kennard’s the one that refused to let the Lakers battle back.
When the Lakers were fighting to put our backs up against the wall, Kennard refused to stop responding. It really shows Kennard’s growth.
He’s likely not going to be an All-Star this year. He’s likely not going to give you 20 a night. He hasn’t even averaged more than 27 minutes per game this season.
But when the game’s on the line, and the Clippers need a shooter, Kennard is going to be there.
PG struggled from deep tonight, and only scored 19 points. It didn’t matter. Kennard came off the bench and put up 19 of his own, picking his teammate right up.
This is why we gave Kennard a check as great as we did. We knew he had this ability to shoot and shoot effectively in the clutch. Against our biggest rival, he showed up and ripped their hearts out.
Next. Clippers need to keep taking advantage of easy upcoming schedule. dark
Without our franchise player in Leonard out there, without another really productive wing in Nicolas Batum out there, and without guard depth from Jason Preston out there, someone on the bench needed to step up. The player on the bench making up to an average of $16 million per year, needed to be the guy to rise to the occasion. He certainly did, and electrified the city tonight.