Luke Kennard is poised to be a key piece in the Detroit Pistons season. Here’s how he could craft his game after the legendary Manu Ginobili.
Watching Manu Ginobili flail, flop, jab step, pump fake and weave his way around the Detroit Pistons in the 2005 NBA Finals was frustrating. He seemed slow, awkward even, and had some sort of bald mullet that made him look like Fredo from the Godfather.
Yet, there he was in the lane again. Yet, there he was torching the Pistons for 19 points per game in the NBA Finals, hitting clutch shots while his stringy mullet flowed behind.
I thought, “I hate you Manu Ginobili. I hate your game. I hate that you perfected soccer-style flopping and brought it to the NBA. I hate the fouls you draw. I hate the circus shots you take that somehow always seem to go in. I hate that you’re always getting up off the ground for no reason. I hate your body odor (probably). In short, I hate you. But man, I wish you were on my team.”
My wish may have come true, as the Pistons have their own goofy lefty that may just be the next Ginobili. I won’t go too deep into the comparison between Luke Kennard and Ginobili except to say that they have more in common than being balding white guys who shoot left handed and have a long U in their name.
Like Ginobili, Kennard does not possess blazing speed or impressive size. Like Ginobili, Kennard is a bit awkward, has a sweet shot and can be creative offensively, so Manu is a good model for how Kennard can improve his game.
Enter Man-Luke Kennobili.
Aside from cultivating a fierce mullet, here are four things that Luke Kennard can learn from Manu Ginobili.