[WalkaFlockaParticipant]

 Someone who really hasn’t been talked about from last year’s draft is Luke Kennard. 

He didn’t burst onto the scene like Donovan Mitchell, DSJ, etc., but he did have a solid rookie year. The Pistons seem like they’re perpetually stuck in mediocrity in recent years, so he’s going to have opportunities, especially with SVG out of the fold. He shot 41% from 3 as a rook and flashed some playmaking skills.

He was never going to be the biggest star coming out of the 2017 draft, but what do people see his upside being next year and then 5-7 years from now?

 

[CoachWyersParticipant]

 I think he will end up being a good starting guard in the NBA and average 10-15pts for his career.  As for next year I think his stats and playing time are about where they were last year.

[festar35Participant]

 I think he is a starting quality wing, his defense will be key for how good he is. As for his career see JJ Redick, Kyle Korver  – I think he will be seen as a great shooter when all said and done. 

I hope he finds consistency early, otherwise he could be like McDermott where he moves around and doesn’t get a clear job description/environment to build in.

 

[kobyzParticipant]

As been told he’ going to transfer and play pg for pistons next year, this what pistons want him to become and he’s working for it, they want as much shooting around their two bigs, and that open the door to more shooting…

[BasterdInABasketParticipant]

 Who’s better? DiVincenzo or Kennard?

[Jr. ROXASParticipant]

 Kennard has more skill (on-ball and off-ball). Donte is more athletic. I’d give Kennard the edge though.

[CoachWyersParticipant]

 I think Kennard is better than Divincenzo

[bigtymer32Participant]

 he will be handling the ball more and with a new coach he has a chance to show more of what he can do.if he wasn’t injuried he would be abe to play point guard in summer league but now it will be a longer transition.he can be a starter at some point.

[jaycee24Participant]

 I deeply doubt he will play point much if at all next year. I think the idea was to have him Thomas Brown and Ellenson on the floor together as they all have playmaking skills.

I watched a couple clips and I noticed that him and Bullock are actually really deadly with the rest of the starting group based on Lukes spacing and Bullocks off ball work. 

I personally hated we passed on Mitchell but its hard to totally be mad at Kennard. I think he has HIGH IQ and his shot is going to be top ten in the league soon it’s a beautiful jumper.

I’m out on Johnson as a starter until he shows SOMETHING consistent offensively and GR3 seems like he would need time with the team before starting is a possibility so I’m down with Luke as the starting 2 as bad as he might be at times on D. 

The more comfortable he gets the closer hell be to seeing the kind of player he can become which I think is a top level pure shooter with scoring and passing ability 

 

 

 

 

[ChoppyParticipant]

 Kennard is already a near elite shooter. He has issues defensively, but he can work on those in time. He’s not nearly as bad as SVG made out. I’m not as disappointed in passing on Mitchell, as there is no way he’d have been given the opportunity to play under SVG. People saying passing on Mitchell was bad – it was – but some perspective is needed. He would have had the same role as Kennard and wouldn’t have been able to show his ability. I think Casey will be brilliant for Kennard’s development, but I see him in more of a 6th man role this year behind Bullock and Johnson. Next year, assuming we lose Bullock who will be looking to get paid, Kennard will be in line for the starting job. 

[rtbtParticipant]

 Why does subtle racism still exist in the 21st Century? Every player comparison in this thread about Kennard is only to other WHITE GUYS.

[CynthiaParticipant]

There’s nothing racist about it. It’s human nature to correlate people to others who look and play similar, which in this case is someone like Korver. But if it gets the stick out of your a$$ then I’ll compare him to Troy Daniels.

It’s ironic how people like you try to find racism in every little thing when there is none, doesn’t that make you the racist one?

[rtbtParticipant]

" It’s ironic how people like you try to find racism in every little thing when there is none, doesn’t that make you the racist one?"

People like me? I’m LOL! Cynthia doesn’t know anything about me. 

People who can’t think about complex issues, don’t see what’s under the surface. With hundreds of players in the NBA, and countless shooting guards in the leage, every single comparison with Kennard were only to other WHITE players. If that isn’t a sub-conscious form of racism, I must be living on another planet.

It doesn’t mean the people who did that are KKK type racists, but it is a form of racist thinking, even if it’s only sub-conscious. We need to stop doing that in America.

Finally, I’m not looking for racism, I want to see it disappear. 

[OhCanada-Participant]

 I personally think all the white players kinda play like Luke Kennard especially Kyle Korver.

[rtbtParticipant]

DiVincenzo? Are you serious? First, he hasn’t played a game in the NBA yet. Second, he’s a phenomenal athlete who plays a power game. I don’t see much similiarity in their styles

McDermott? He’s a small forward who’s game is moving without the ball. He isn’t even a shooting guard. Please.

 

[HobbyOGParticipant]

 Intstead of bitchin about it..who would you compare him to then? Don’t critize other comparisons and not throw one out there to prove your point. 

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

Kennard, for the most part, took a half year before settling in at Duke. He played as a freshman, but not especially well early on. He seemed to settle in towards the end of last year. Now, end of the year runs for young players on bad teams can be fool’s gold. He also might be hurt by the fact that the guy who drafted him has been fired. That said, I would think with the Piston options on the wing that he will get around 30 minutes per night (I tend to believe the GRIII signing will impact Stanley Johnson’s minutes moreso than Kennard). With his ability to shoot, if he is on the floor for 28-30 minutes, he will probably average 12-15 per while shooting an impressive clip. While that won’t compare well to Donovan Mitchell, it will be a respectable second year.

[HitsterParticipant]

Player comparisons often go along race lines for what I think is a perfectly innocent reason – looking at a black or a white player you would sub consciously automatically think of someone of that colour. 

Luke Kennard had a solid first season and could well kick on next season as a potentially elite shooter, he’ll likely have a niche NBA career at worse, at best he can be a good complimentary starter for a decade.

  

[BeastMode716Participant]

 Pro Sports Draft b/c the individual Star can have such a massive impact of the success of the team AND b/c Future Stars are identified so young in Basketball 

For example, only about 50% of NFL ALl Pro’s & Hall of Famers were 1st Round picks – that’s the Whole 1st round 

Whereas the NBA – except in rare examples – do we see future Super Stars Ever slip past the 10th pick – It def does happen: Kobe, Greek Freak, Kawhi Leonard, Steve Nash, Kiki Vandeweghe, Clyde Drexler, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Joe Dumars, Reggie Miller, Timmy Haraway, Latrell Sprewell, Tony Parker, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler & Devin Booker 

And the Vast majority of those players were drafted just outside the Top 10 from about #11 – #17

So Context truly matters when evaluating the Success or Failure of a Draft Pick. For example, when a team lands a Top 3 pick in the Draft Lottery that team is Praying for a Super Star! But the Very least they hope for is a perrenial All Star.

A Draft pick from 4 – 10 & the team has a chance of a Super Star a la Charles Barkely (#5) Steff Curry (#7) Dirt Nowitski (#9) are some example but at the Very least the team is hopeing for a perennial All Star. 

So what I like to do is compare a player to Other players picked at the Same spot to give some context. For example, if you look at all the #15 picks over the past 30+ years Greek Freak & Kawhi Leonard stand out SO far above the other players picked at #15 who in general are decent to solid starters as a ceiling, Kelvin Cato, Brent Barry, Austin Davvy, Cedric Simmons are the names that appear 90% of the time when picking #15

So is Luke Kennard project as a future Star? No but a 21 y/o who shoots 42% from 3pt range at 6’6” is extremely valuable. Perhaps Kennard can grow into a JJ Reddick – who is an outstanding, consistent NBA 2 guard who is an outstand 3pt shooter or a Dell Curry type (Steph’s father) who avg 14 ppg over a long career shooting 3’s at a high %%% clip.

It will be tough for Kennard to play Wing b/c the prototypical modern NBA 3 & D Wing is from 6’6” to 6’9” who can shoot 3’s but also finish at the Rim on Cuts & most important play Valuable Perimeter Defense & the TOP 3 & D Wings can beat their man off the dribble to create a shot or get to the Free throw line – i.e. Kawhi Leonard or Jason Tatum 

I don’t see Kennard cutting to the Rim & finishing & certainly not creating his own shot off the Dribble. Kennard is an excellent 85% FT shooter but only Avg 1 FTA per game – he’s on the small side for a Wing at 6′ 6” & he’s a below avg defender – so I see Kennard as a guy who can grow into a very reliable 2 guard on a lower seed playoff team OR an instant offense Sub who can come off the bench for a stronger team

Hilton Armstrong, Nik Collison, Khalid Reeves, Austin Croshere, Aleksander Radojevic, Harvey Grant, Greg Anthony, George Lynch, Vitaly Potepenko, Alec Burks, Dario Saric, Taurean Prince 

Those are 10 examples of #12 Lottery picks over the last 30 years – totally random sample size. Some are players that Kennard does not project to be as good: Harvey Grant, George Lynch, Greg Anthony & Dario Saric but there are other players who we barely remember & Kennard is Already better than them.

So Kennard is off to a Great start in the Context of that #12 slot 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

His offensive skill set sort of reminds me of a mixutre of Klay Thompson and Manu Ginobli. 

 

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Grayson Allen was always a better prospect.

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