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Stan Van Gundy speaks on Luke Kennard’s strengths and weaknesses

By Duncan Smith

Mar 17, 2017; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard (5) drives to the basket against Troy Trojans forward DeVon Walker (25) in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2017; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard (5) drives to the basket against Troy Trojans forward DeVon Walker (25) in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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After an eventful draft day, the Detroit Pistons selected Luke Kennard with the 12th pick. Stan Van Gundy addressed the media to talk about it.

With the Detroit Pistons’ sole draft pick in the books, Stan Van Gundy addressed the media to discuss first round draft pick Luke Kennard. The 12th pick out of Duke, Kennard is a 6’5″ shooting guard who is a noted sharpshooter, but he has the ability to create off the dribble as well.

“He can run off screens and make plays. He’s not just a spot up shooter. That’s not really his game,” said Van Gundy. “His game is to make plays with the ball. He’s not a 3-and-D guy, he’s a scorer. A playmaker.”

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While Kennard scored 19.5 points per game on great efficiency, he took about 41.5 percent of his shorts from three-point range, making 43.8 percent. He shot 49 percent from the field, and he had an impressive free throw rate (free throw attempts divided by field goal attempts) of 38.6 percent. That’s better than all of the guards who went ahead of him in the draft with the exceptions of De’Aaron Fox and Dennis Smith Jr.

While he’s a skilled and polished scorer, Van Gundy noted his shortcomings on defense.

“Even guarding his own position, that’s an area where he’s got to get a lot better. He’s got to take a lot more pride in it than he did last year.” Van Gundy continued, “He’s got to change his entire defensive approach. He’s got to do that if he wants to get on the floor.”

While his offense may be NBA-ready even at this early point, there’s no doubt that his defense is a concern. He may have physical limitations that are challenging for him to overcome, as well. His wingspan is just over 6’5″, and he had a microscopic steal rate of 1.3 percent in his sophomore season.

Next: Luke Kennard fills major need for the Detroit Pistons

Like Van Gundy said, his defensive game may be the only thing that can keep him off the floor right away, so he’ll need to take steps over the course of the summer to improve on that side of the ball.