Detroit Pistons rookie Luke Kennard ready to contribute right away?

Detroit Pistons rookie Luke Kennard has earned praise throughout training camp, and he just made an ESPN list of underrated rookies ready to contribute.

Detroit Pistons coach and head of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy said something attention worthy during media day on September 25. When talking about how the team is optimistic about their youngest players, he said this:

"“Then I think it’s going to be hard to keep Luke off the floor.”"

All quotes are courtesy of Jake Chapman’s Wired: Pistons Podcast.

The “Luke” Van Gundy is speaking of is of course Pistons rookie Luke Kennard, whom Detroit selected with the No. 12 pick in this year’s draft. With Reggie Jackson, Avery Bradley, Ish Smith, Langston Galloway, and Reggie Bullock in the backcourt mix, the comment stood out.

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Van Gundy later elaborated on that statement following the first day of training camp. He said the team has a lot of depth on the wing, so it’s possible Kennard is out of the rotation, but…

"“He’s just really good. I mean, he has got great skills, he can shoot and pass, which are two great things. And he’s just got a very good feel for the game, reading defense. The game comes pretty easily to him, particularly at the offensive end.”"

In that same media availability, Van Gundy also explained that the team was surprised by his defense abilities so far, stating he did much better in summer league than expected. Kennard, a 6’6” two guard who recently turned 21, mainly shined on offense during the summer league. He scored 17.2 points per game and shot 48 percent from the three-point line in Orlando.

Despite positive praise from his coach and the impressive summer league performance, Kennard struggled during the team’s five preseason games. In 23 minutes per contest, he averaged 6.2 points, 1.2 assists, and 1.8 rebounds per game, shooting just 14-34 from the field (41.1 percent) and 2-10 from three (20 percent).

His uneven preseason doesn’t have everybody concerned. On Thursday, ESPN draft guru Mike Schmitz put Kennard on his list of 10 underrated NBA rookies. More specifically, the Pistons rookie listed Kennard among five rookies he believes are likely “to have more of an impact this season than most might anticipate.”

Schmitz cited his feel for the game, his ability to play on or off the ball, and his shooting ability as reasons Kennard will figure into the team’s immediate plans. Van Gundy has also praised his poise, smarts, and decision making during training camp.

If Kennard is truly going to hard to keep off the floor, it would mean playing time behind Bradley at the two-guard, likely at the expense of Galloway’s and/or Bullock’s minutes. Van Gundy has been known to keep his rotation to nine guys, or a max of 10.

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The truth of the matter is that this team has solid depth and Van Gundy will likely adjust his rotation multiple times throughout the long season. Still, the positive dialogue surrounding Kennard is an encouraging sign for his prospects this season and beyond.