Sometimes in sports, you just need someone to believe in you. Luke Kennard has always had the talent - the silky smooth shooting stroke, the basketball IQ, the fundamentals. But he's spent his career being the "nice role player," the guy who gets you 9 points off the bench and doesn't make waves. Not anymore.
With the Lakers' star guards out, Kennard is averaging 21.3 points on 71% true shooting while hitting 52.9% from three-point range against the Houston Rockets. Read those numbers again. That's not just good - that's elite superstar efficiency on high volume.
What's changed? JJ Redick. The Lakers coach knows a shooter when he sees one - he was one of the best in NBA history. And he's told Kennard to stop being polite and start being a killer. Stop passing up good looks. Stop deferring. You're an elite shooter, so shoot like one.
According to StatMuse, Kennard isn't just standing in the corner waiting for wide-open threes. He's moving without the ball, coming off screens, taking pull-ups in transition. He's playing with a confidence we haven't seen from him before.
The thing is, 20+ points on 71% true shooting against a good defensive team like Houston is ridiculous. That's the kind of efficiency you see from the game's best offensive players. Kennard has always had the touch, but now he's got the green light and the mindset to match.
Is it sustainable? Probably not forever. But right now, with Los Angeles missing key players, Kennard is keeping their playoff hopes alive. He's proving that sometimes all a player needs is a coach who believes in them and tells them to let it fly.
JJ Redick has unlocked something special here. Kennard is showing the - and the rest of the league - that he's not just a role player. When given the opportunity and the confidence, he can carry an offense.
