The Los Angeles Lakers watched Luke Kennard struggle mightily to finish the series against the Rockets, and the issues will be amplified against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 6’5 wing scored just 11 total points over the final three games and made one of his seven 3-pointers. His touches dropped significantly when Austin Reaves returned, and Kennard quickly became a non-factor. That will be worse versus OKC.
The Thunder are loaded with rangy defenders who can steal the ball. LA doesn’t want Kennard handling or bringing the ball up the floor. In his 80.2 minutes wearing purple and gold against OKC, the Thunder outscored the Lakers by 58 points. Their defense is next level, and the sharpshooter is already struggling.
The Lakers are learning what the rest of the league knows. Kennard can boost a regular-season offense, but teams will game-plan to limit his shooting and impact in the playoffs. He also becomes a player to attack on defense. Houston did it late in the first round series, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be licking his chops whenever he sees Kennard on the floor.
Lakers’ Luke Kennard headache will get worse
Kennard averaged 3.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.0 steal in 30.7 minutes per game over the final three contests against the Rockets. He made just four of his 18 shots and sank only one 3-pointer. That is unacceptable for an offense-first player who struggles on defense.
Kennard may be playing for his future in Los Angeles. The Lakers traded for him and would like to bring him back, but LA will be contending for the foreseeable future. If the 6’5 wing continues to struggle in the playoffs, the Lakers may be forced to rethink their plans.
Fans have seen this before. Kennard’s hesitancy to fire away from 3-point can be a problem. He likes to take and make open looks. Those dwindle in the playoffs. The opposing team is locked in on tendencies and isn’t going to let one of the best shooters in NBA history get open.
The defending champions will have a plan to shut down Kennard, especially with Luka Doncic out. LeBron James and Austin Reaves will be at the top of the scouting report, but Kennard will be third. Limiting his 3-point attempts cools the Lakers' offense. LA failed to score more than 98 points in the final three games against the Rockets, with the 6’5 wing struggling.
Los Angeles Lakers fans should buckle up because Luke Kennard’s struggles are about to get worse. Things were bad in the final games of the Rockets series, but the Thunder have the best defense in the NBA. They will be swarming and know Kennard is a non-factor if he isn’t making shots. Eliminating his impact will give OKC another edge in a series where they are already heavily favored.
The Lakers need Kennard to make shots and space the floor. If that doesn’t happen, this could be the end of their season. Hopefully, the sharpshooter proves me wrong.
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