Detroit Pistons need Luke Kennard to snap out of funk

Luke Kennard has struggled as of late and it’s hurt the Detroit Pistons deeply. If the Pistons want to make the playoffs, they’ll need Kennard to return to form.

The Detroit Pistons find themselves currently in the eighth seed, and in the middle of a race between themselves, the Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, and the Orlando Magic.

With three games left in the season against the New York Knicks, Memphis Grizzlies, and the Charlotte Hornets, the Pistons are going to need their promising second year player to step up.

Luke Kennard had been playing extremely well since the All Star break, and was a major reason the Pistons had made a surge up the standings and into the playoff picture. Kennard, in the 18 games following the break, had been averaging 12.5 points per game off the bench on 48 percent shooting from the field and 43 percent shooting from deep.

The Detroit Pistons were 11-7 in these games.

Many during this time were pushing for Kennard to start. However, the though behind keeping Kennard on the bench made sense. The Pistons already had high usage players in Blake Griffin and Reggie Jackson in the starting lineup, and Kennard wouldn’t be capable of doing all he’s capable when playing next to them.

The bench also was desperate for some scoring. Bumping Bruce Brown from starting lineup to the second unit wouldn’t make much sense, since Brown struggles mightily on the offensive end.

So, the plan was to allow Kennard to carry the offensive load on the bench; by not only scoring but also playmaking.

The plan was working perfectly…

That is until the last four games.

The Pistons have lost four of their last six games, and Kennard’s struggles have something to do with it. Kennard is averaging 5.4 points per game and shooting a putrid 29 percent from the field during this stretch.

The bench has been awful, and while the injury to Griffin’s knee that kept him out three games of course has a lot to do with the Pistons struggles, it doesn’t help that Kennard has went cold during the same time.

Kennard has shown all of us what he’s capable of and hopefully this is just a bump in the road. The Detroit Pistons need Kennard to remain aggressive off the bench and keep letting the shots fly.

With only three games remaining in such a tight playoff race, Kennard has to shake off his recent struggles and return to form.