Detroit Pistons: 3 takeaways from Game 1 vs. Bucks

2. Luke Kennard has to play more

Luke Kennard was tied with shooting guard Wayne Ellington for the team lead with 28 minutes, and that didn’t even feel like enough. The team was struggling to generate any semblance of an offense, but Kennard was rolling all night long. He shot 8-of-14, including 4-for-5 from 3-point range, for 21 points. Kennard has to get on the floor more than he has all season.

His minutes went down this season from the 22.8 per game he played last year to the 20 he played this year. He’s struggled to maintain his foothold in the rotation all season, but he showed Sunday night that he belongs there. He’s worked on his ability to get open shots off, and he can hit contested shots at times as well. While rookie Bruce Brown Jr. is the superior defender, Kennard’s offense shows that he deserves those minutes.

The Bucks offense was lights out on Sunday night. It’s unlikely they’re going to shoot that well every night, but the Pistons will need to put more firepower on the floor to have a hope of keeping up. Kennard should be a starter for the Pistons next season, and the argument could be made for him to start down the stretch of this series.