Detroit Pistons: Taking a look at the future backcourt

Playmaking

Both Kennard and Brown have shown great vision and passing skills. Bruce Brown has a knack for finding big men on drives. He’s had that since college.

He has the size to see over the defense and find overhead passes, wraparounds and dump-offs. He finds a rolling Drummond with this beautiful bounce pass in a tight space.

When defenses help off shooters he can find the open man. He can stay in the air long enough to spot the kick out and he has the skill to make difficult passes. As time goes by and he develops as a point guard, the hope is that he can be a consistent passer out of these situations.

Kennard is a creative passer. Not many players have the ability to make passes with both hands and Kennard consistently does. He might even be a better passer with his right hand. Just look at how he sets up this spin bounce pass in transition.

And he quickly finds Snell on the wing with this off-hand zip pass, right in his shooting pocket.

Most importantly, Kennard doesn’t need the ball in his hands to make plays. He can move without the ball, get free of his defender, draw help and find the open man in a matter of seconds. That requires high levels of recognition.

He can read the defense really well and make the right play. But he doesn’t need time and the ball in his hands to do that. He can make decisions on the move, a quality that few players share.

You can run him off screens and expect him to get what the defense gives him. The threat of his shots puts defenders on skates and he knows how to take advantage.

Defenders have to go over on off-ball screens and when he pump fakes, they consistently get off their feet. He gets rid of three defenders in the play below in a couple of seconds.