Luke Kennard could have immediate impact for Pistons
By Matthew Way
While Luke Kennard may not have been the most highly touted prospect in this year’s draft, his strengths help cover glaring weaknesses in the Detroit Pistons offense.
If there was a way to struggle offensively, last year’s Detroit Pistons team figured out a way to do it. Ranking as the sixth worst offense in the league, the Pistons were average or below average in six of the nine major play types tracked by NBA.com. Enter Luke Kennard – the Pistons first round draft pick who thrives in the play types that the Pistons have previously struggled in.
The Pistons finished the 2016-17 as decidedly average in terms of ball handler efficiency in the pick-and-roll. While that may seem good enough, it becomes a problem because of how much the Pistons rely on the ball handler in those situations in Stan Van Gundy’s pick-and-roll heavy offense.
Kennard, while not flashy, excels as the ball handler in the pick-and-roll. Among the top 100 DraftExpress prospects, Kennard was the very best in the pick-and-roll last season. His quick release brings an ability to get three point attempts up, even when given very little space. Joining a Pistons team who is less than stellar at setting high screens, that ability to get up quick shots in the pick-and-roll could prove invaluable.
The two play types that the Pistons struggled the most in during the 2016-17 season also happen to be two of Kennard’s greatest strengths – spot up shooting and shooting off screens.
Kennard is incredibly skilled at reading screens and setting up his defenders with his footwork and changing of speeds. After he uses those skills to get free from defenders, he does a terrific job squaring up his body to put up the best shot possible.
When Kennard has the ability to simply spot up, he’s a deadly shooter from long distance. He’s also far better at finding open space to set up those catch-and-shoot situations than anyone currently on the Pistons roster.
Related Story: Stan Van Gundy addresses Luke Kennard's strengths, weaknesses
Stan Van Gundy made it very clear that Kennard has some issues defensively. Van Gundy has a history of benching young players for defensive lapses in the past. But Kennard’s ability to create offense for the Pistons in ways that no one else can should keep him on the floor more than most Van Gundy-coached rookies, and it should help the Pistons in a very tangible way.