The Luke Kennard experience has become very fun, very quickly. For seemingly no reason at all, Kennard has turned into the co-star of LeBron James in two games, both Lakers wins over the Houston Rockets in a series few thought they had a chance to win after losing both Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic to injury.
Still remaining, though, is the question of what Kennard's role will be when Reaves returns, then when Doncic (hopefully) returns. If the answer is that Kennard reverts back to the bench shooter he's known as, then the Lakers' potential series against the Thunder will probably look a lot like the regular season games against the defending champs.
But let's say that Reaves and Doncic return, look like themselves, the Lakers finish off the Rockets, and Kennard keeps playing the way he's been playing. Does that version of the Lakers have any shot of knocking off the superpowered Oklahoma City Thunder?
It's tough to make that argument. But the Lakers we saw in Game 2 plus the team's two best players would at least put up a fight against the Thunder. Unfortunately, the Thunder operate at such a higher level than anyone else, that even a maximized Kennard and a healthy Big 3 would have to be nearly perfect on a nightly basis.
Still, even suggesting that the Lakers could give the Thunder a fight feels like a big progression, and that's happened in large part because Kennard, a journeyman 3-point specialist, has become an elite playmaking guard out of nowhere, and it's basically saving the Lakers' season.
Luke Kennard is in the midst of a stunning late-season breakout
I pondered recently about the Lakers' plan with Kennard, and whether they would be able to retain him or if another team would offer him more than the Lakers could match, but mentioned that Kennard, with all the other factors facing the Lakers this summer, might not be a top priority.
But with each game he performs like he did in Game 2 (23 points, 8-13 FG) he moves up one rung on the Lakers list of priorities this offseason. Obviously he doesn't replace re-signing Austin Reaves, but he's been so good lately that thinking he could be replaced easily would probably not be smart roster building.
Rob Pelinka deserves some massive props for the trade that brought Luke Kennard to Los Angeles, as fans are getting to see that, when needed, he can play a pretty crucial role for this team. If he can be this multifaceted player even when the other stars return, the Lakers' ceiling raises a few levels.
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