When the Lakers traded for Luke Kennard at the deadline, the majority of the team’s fanbase let out a collective shrug.
No one debated that the 29-year-old journeyman would help address a clear need as arguably the most efficient 3-point shooter in the NBA since entering the league. But the tepid reaction stemmed not from who he is, but from who he wasn’t.
Kennard isn’t the wing stopper, starting center or the needle mover who would propel the Lakers into title contenders. However, as he’s shown since his arrival, sometimes swinging for contact instead of for the fences still could be valuable from a trade perspective.
Unlike most late-season acquisitions, Kennard has acclimated to his new surroundings almost immediately. The seamless fit is not only due to his elite shooting ability, but rather, how he leverages it on this team specifically.
For one, Kennard’s addition has opened up the playbook for head coach JJ Redick. Before the sharpshooter’s arrival, the Lakers did not have the type of movement shooter who could dart off screens and fire all over the floor. This resulted in an often vanilla and predictable half-court attack.
Now, the Lakers’ actions have far more zip and, more importantly, purpose when Kennard is on the floor.
Whether it’s been flying off flare screens, sought out on pindowns or serving as the cog to the Lakers’ stack actions, Kennard has introduced a new dimension to the team’s gameplan.
Since landing in Los Angeles, 25.2% of Kennard’s shots have come off screens, according to the NBA’s Synergy data. That ranks second-highest among all players this season behind only Klay Thompson.
The other way Kennard’s elite marksmanship has helped the Lakers is in the moments when he doesn’t shoot at all.
On track to become only the seventh player in NBA history to convert 50% of their 3-point attempts in a season, Kennard is what Stu Lantz would call an “uh-oh shooter.” If you need proof, just watch how defenses react to him when he catches a pass beyond the arc. There’s fear in their eyes and desperation in their feet.
Kennard’s gravitational pull is so strong that he often even lures multiple defenders into his orbit. And when this happens, advantages are created.
The embodiment of what Redick calls “the blender,” Kennard routinely gets opposing defenses into scramble mode by using the threat of his jumper against them. Although not always given the opportunity, he can do this because he is more than just a stereotypical shooter.
“It kind of gives confidence in me, not just being a spot-up shooter,” Kennard recently said. “There’s been stops, I think, where that’s kind of what I’ve been, and I’ll find my role and try to do the best I can with that. But I think just creating havoc offensively, just getting in the paint … when we get in the paint and we have multiple passes on possession, we’re such a different team.
“I can kind of initiate some of that. If two guys are on, like Luka, Bron or Austin, and I get a swing pass, if I don’t have a shot, I can get in the paint and try to make a play. I pride myself on that, trying to make the right play every single time. I’ve been having a good time.”
When defenders close out hard on Kennard, which is almost always, he attacks pressure with pressure. He can put the ball on the floor, extend advantages created by the team’s stars and has shown impressive passing feel to find the open teammate.
Take this play below, for example. Kennard comes off a flare screen and finds that the Warriors’ big man has met him at the level. The slight pump fake gets the defender to engage fully, and this is when he can strike.
Kennard gets downhill — averaging 5 drives per game, fourth-most on the team — draws multiple bodies and then kicks it out. The blender has officially been started.
After the Lakers swing it around the perimeter and the Warriors’ defenders are caught in rotation, the ball ultimately finds its way back in Kennard’s hands for a three. This was not a drawn-up play, but rather, an encapsulation of what Kennard has brought to the table.
“His ability to make plays, getting to the paint, uses his (shooting threat); because he shoots the ball so well, a lot of teams like to run him off the line,” LeBron James told reporters. “But his ability to get into the lane and make plays for others as well has been a big part of what we want to do, too. Just making that extra pass, those kick-out plays and those extra ones, he’s damn good at it.”
As much as Kennard’s impact has popped on tape, the numbers have been just as impressive.
Individually, Kennard is shooting a blistering 72% on his twos, 49% on his threes and has an incredible 72.7% effective field-goal percentage in his 15 games with the Lakers. Those marks rank in the 99th, 100th and 100th percentile among all wings this season, respectively.
And from a team perspective, the Lakers are +7.7 points better with Kennard on the floor and have an offensive rating of 125.8.
Perhaps more encouraging is how well Kennard has fit next to Luka Dončić in particular. The Lakers have a +17.3 net rating when the two have shared the floor and an unbelievable 129.9 offensive rating. To put this in context, the Denver Nuggets currently lead the NBA with an offensive rating of 121.3.
This is an important development because while a championship is always the end goal for the Lakers, another this season should be finding the players — and archetypes — that complement Dončić going forward.
It remains to be seen how much of Kennard’s impact thus far will translate to the playoffs, where his defensive limitations will surely be tested. How he fares may ultimately sway how much desire the Lakers have in bringing him back next season. Kennard will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
Regardless of what the future holds, the trade and Kennard’s success have proved just how valuable shooting and the ability to play off the gravity of stars truly are.
Kennard likely isn’t a long-term answer for the Lakers, but he is a proof of concept.
All stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise stated. You can follow Alex on Bluesky at @alexregla.bsky.social.
