Detroit Pistons: 5 goals for Luke Kennard’s rookie season
3. Grace under pressure
Carving out a niche for any NBA takes grace under pressure. Doing so during a rookie season on a mediocre team will take finesse, fundamentals and a willingness to learn from the coaches and veterans on the team.
Head coach Stan Van Gundy shared his expectations for the Summer League games with Greg Auman of The Charlotte Observer.
"“I told him that I would walk out of these two weeks either saying he has a chance – certainly no guarantee – to play next year, or I’m going to be saying ‘He needs a year; let’s forget about him,’” Van Gundy said of the 6-6, 206-pound Kennard on Wednesday, after an 87-82 win against Charlotte. “But he has a chance. He has a chance to play. I’ve seen enough to know that. How far he comes through the rest of the summer and in training camp and during the season, we’ll see.”"
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Kennard’s performance during the NBA Summer League in Orlando shows that he is ready for the challenge. The Pistons lost the Summer League championship to the Mavericks on a last second overtime shot put up by Dallas Mavericks center Johnathan Motley with 0.3 seconds left.
Kennard played 33 minutes and scored all of the Pistons’ overtime points. He scored 24 points, including shooting 3-for-3 from the three-point range. Though critics questioned his defensive abilities in pre-draft rankings, he pulled down five rebounds before fouling out of the game in a solid defensive effort.
Overall, Kennard impressed the Pistons with his play during Summer League competition. Associate head coach Bob Beyer told Keith Langlois how the coaching staff feels about Kennard’s performance during his time in Orlando.
"“We talked about it right from day one,” said Bob Beyer, Pistons associate head coach and again head coach for their Summer League team. “The more you watch him, he’s not afraid of the moment at all. The way our offense was going, we really struggled in the fourth. The ball was in his hands because I thought he was the one guy that either could make a shot or find someone to get an easy score. And he really, really showed that.”"
Van Gundy told Kennard exactly what it would take for him to see significant playing time. Kennard used the Summer League to showcase his skills and make a case for himself.
"“He’s clearly a guy with no fear,” Van Gundy said. “I don’t think anything’s going to bother him. He’s going to go out and play, so he’s got that kind of toughness.”"
Kennard was aware he’s playing for his future and the interview didn’t end on draft night. He’s going to have to keep impressing his coaches and improving if he wants an important role in the Pistons’ offense this year.