Is Detroit Pistons’ Luke Kennard the next Manu Ginobili?

1. Be creative with the ball

Ginobili was able to overcome his lack of quickness by being creative with the ball. He kept defenders off balance because they never knew if he was going to drive, pass or shoot. He used jab steps to make space, and often took creative angles with the ball that looked more like he was running around a soccer pitch than a basketball court.

He lured defenders to sleep by holding the ball and then firing up a shot unexpectedly or throwing a no-look pass to a teammate cutting off the ball. He was unpredictable and frustrating.

Ginobili had a bag of tricks and he used them all. He was crafty and smart, which is exactly what Kennard needs to be to make up for his lack of athleticism.

Kennard did flash this sort of creativity at times, especially in the playoffs, where he was more aggressive with the ball. Kennard needs to be less predictable, more creative. He needs to be a better playmaker, to burn defenders who play too close or too far off.

He needs to become a better passer, to get closer to Ginobili’s career average of 3.8 assists per game, which is double Kennard’s. He needs to develop his own bag of tricks, to be more cerebral, to be more like another famous Luke.