The Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the minutes were disastrous with Luke Kennard on the floor. They were outscored by 37 in 84 minutes in the first three contests. OKC was attacking Kennard when they had the ball and shut down his playmaking. He was on the floor for LA's run in Game 4, but he couldn't make shots. Ultimately, the Thunder proved why Kennard isn't a ceiling-raiser in the playoffs.
After the first two games against the Houston Rockets in the opening round, Kennard struggled. He averaged just 8.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 0.8 steals. The 6’5 guard shot just 40.7 percent and made just 37.0 percent of his threes. LA was outscored in six of the eight games with him on the floor, and it became clear Kennard wasn’t helping.
Fans can’t be shocked. This has happened at every stop in his NBA career. The Thunder were always going to make the problem worse. OKC has too much playmaking and athleticism. Those are things Kennard can't neutralize.
The Thunder may have changed the Lakers' mind on Luke Kennard
The Lakers were rumored to be interested (subscription required) in bringing back Kennard before this series started. He showed surprising playmaking late in the season after Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were injured. Fans know Kennard is a lethal shooter, but this continues a trend Rob Pelinka must remedy to make LA a serious title contender.
The Lakers' lead decision-maker loves players with one elite skill, but those role players struggle elsewhere. Kennard is an elite shooter with defensive issues. The Thunder exploit the weaknesses and limit the strengths. It is exactly why Los Angeles was blown out when Kennard was in the game during this series.
Oklahoma City is going to be a contender for years to come. The San Antonio Spurs are another deep and athletic team built to exploit weaknesses. Those are the Lakers' two biggest roadblocks to a title. If Los Angeles wants to win a championship, they can’t count on Kennard to be a key part of their playoff rotation.
The Lakers gave up a second-round draft pick and Gabe Vincent to acquire Kennard at the deadline. They needed an upgrade and paid a small price to get it. LA found out the 6’5 wing can’t help them against the NBA’s elite. That should be all they need to know to end this experiment.
The Oklahoma City Thunder exploited Luke Kennard’s defense and rendered him a non-factor. He made eight of his 14 3-point attempts in this series, and the Thunder still dominated his playing time. OKC had a 22-point edge over his 108 minutes. He isn’t the answer, and the Lakers need someone who can be if they want to win a championship.
The Los Angeles Lakers have to let Luke Kennard walk in free agency this summer after this series. OKC showed exactly why he has never played 20-plus minutes per game on a team that reached the conference finals. There are just too many weaknesses to exploit, and the Lakers certainly can’t cover for them. Luckily, Los Angeles quickly found out and can move on.
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