Luke Kennard has unclogged the Lakers’ offense

When the Lakers traded for Luke Kennard at the deadlinethe majority of the workforce’s fanbase set free a collective shrug.

No one debated that the 29-year-old journeyman would assist handle a transparent want as arguably the most effective 3-point shooter in the NBA since coming into the league. But the tepid response stemmed not from who he’s, however from who he wasn’t.

Kennard is not the wing stopper, beginning middle or the needle mover who would propel the Lakers into title contenders. However, as he is proven since his arrival, generally swinging for contact as an alternative of for the fences might nonetheless be worthwhile from a commerce perspective.

Unlike most late-season acquisitions, Kennard has acclimated to his new environment nearly instantly. The seamless match just isn’t solely attributable to his elite taking pictures means, however slightly, how he leverages it on this workforce particularly.

For one, Kennard’s addition has opened up the playbook for head coach JJ Redick. Before the sharpshooter’s arrival, the Lakers didn’t have the kind of motion shooter who might dart off screens and hearth throughout the ground. This resulted in an typically vanilla and predictable half-court assault.

Now, the Lakers’ actions have way more zip and, extra importantly, objective when Kennard is on the ground.

Whether it has been flying off flare screens, sought out on pindowns or serving as the cog to the Lakers’ stack actions, Kennard has launched a brand new dimension to the workforce’s gameplan.

Since touchdown in Los Angeles, 25.2% of Kennard’s pictures have come off screens, according to the NBA’s Synergy data. That ranks second-highest amongst all gamers this season behind solely Klay Thompson.

The different method Kennard’s elite marksmanship has helped the Lakers is in the moments when he does not shoot in any respect.

On observe to turn into solely the seventh participant in NBA historical past to transform 50% of their 3-point makes an attempt in a season, Kennard is what Stu Lantz would name an “uh-oh shooter.” If you want proof, simply watch how defenses react to him when he catches a go past the arc. There’s worry of their eyes and despair of their ft.

Kennard’s gravitational pull is so sturdy that he typically even lures a number of defenders into his orbit. And when this occurs, benefits are created.

The embodiment of what Redick calls “the blender,” Kennard routinely will get opposing defenses into scramble mode through the use of the risk of his jumper in opposition to them. Although not all the time given the alternative, he can do that as a result of he’s greater than only 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 form of provoke a few of that. If two guys are on, like Luka, Bron or Austin, and I get a swing go, if I haven’t got a shot, I can get in the paint and attempt to make a play. I satisfaction myself on that, making an attempt to make the proper play each single time. I’ve been having an excellent 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 informed reporters. “But his means to get into the lane and make performs for others as nicely has been a giant a part of what we wish to do, too. Just making that additional go, these kick-out performs and people additional ones, he is rattling good at it.”

As a lot as Kennard’s affect has popped on tape, the numbers have been simply as spectacular.

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 proven just how valuable shooting and the ability to play off the gravity of stars truly are.

Kennard probably is not a long-term reply for the Lakers, however he’s a proof of idea.

TOll stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise stated. You can follow Alex on Bluesky at @alexregla.bsky.social.