Detroit Pistons: 2017-18 player grades for Luke Kennard
Strengths
His aforementioned shooting was definitely his biggest strength from this past season. He only took 2.7 3-point shots per game, which is a number that should increase by at least double next year.
The aforementioned Korver that has been a common comparison for Kennard has a career average of 4.6 attempts per game. That range, at Kennard’s current accuracy, would make his greatest strength even better for the team. With players such as Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin and Reggie Jackson needing room to operate in the paint, Kennard helped greatly with spacing.
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Most sharpshooters are consistently great free throw shooters. Kennard kept up this pedigree with his 85 percent mark from the line. As he spends more time in the NBA, he will be able to see how referees call fouls and learn how to draw more. When you have his knockdown ability at the line, the more fouls he is able to draw the better.
Although they have different playing styles, Kennard can pick the brain of new head coach Dwane Casey about how his former player DeMar DeRozan drew fouls. Clutch free throw shooters are very important down the stretch of games, and Kennard has that ability.
Versatility is something that is a necessity in today’s NBA, as it allows teams to play with more lineup combinations. Kennard had that with his ability to play point guard in certain situations, where he was mostly a floor-spacer. However, he could also bring the ball up to initiate the offense.
Kennard had a decent rookie year, but he has some things to work on moving forward. Let’s break down his weaknesses from this past season.