Luke Kennard was brought in to make it rain from beyond the arc. The new Los Angeles Lakers sharpshooter has done just that 11 games into his stint in Hollywood. Kennard has been so effective that he is already pushing to be the statistical leader in one key category for the Lakers.
It is not secret to anyone in Los Angeles that the second unit has been incredibly ineffective in 2025-26. The Lakers rank 29th in the NBA when it comes to bench scoring, only outpacing the Houston Rockets in that category. The poor scoring efforts have left the team lacking in another category too.
The Lakers rank 29th in the NBA when it comes to 3-pointers made from their bench, only placing higher than the woeful shooters of the Orlando Magic. This area has been so lacking throughout 2025-26 that Kennard is already well on his way to being the team leader from any individual player.
Kennard has appeared in 10 games off the bench for the Lakers. In those outings, the veteran sniper has pocketed 15 made 3-point shots. That puts him halfway to Dalton Knecht, who leads the category with 30 made triples as a part of the second unit for Los Angeles in his 45 appearances.
Luke Kennard is quickly becoming the Lakers' most dangerous bench threat
At his current pace, Kennard would be projected to overtake Knecht in about 10 more games played. There is one caveat that could make that journey more challenging, though.
Rui Hachimura is known to be a threat from the perimeter for the Lakers. Hachimura has also been moved back to the bench permanently for some time now. Rui is tied for second on the team with Gabe Vincent from 3-pointers made off the bench with 28. That number is not going to sit still.
While there are very few expectations for Knecht to keep increasing his lead in the category, Hachimura should be anticipated to keep adding to his total. That would eventually make Rui the guy who is being chased for the crown.
Kennard only averages 2.9 attempts per game from distance since joining the Lakers, but there has been added effort to get more shots up recently. Over his last three games, the veteran scorer has that number up to 5.0. The Lakers will definitely want the latter version of him moving forward.
When the 2025-26 season is wrapped up, there is a very high chance Kennard will lead the totals for 3-pointers made off the bench among the Lakers players. A low bar is going to help him firmly etch his spot in history with this version of the team.