An honest question for fans about Luke Kennard

[Kaboom3]

Why did the Pistons draft this guy if their plan is to let him rot on the bench in street clothes? It's not as if this is the 28th pick, this is a lottery pick that cannot get a uniform, much less see the floor. It's ridiculous. SVG said in the preseason that it is going to be really hard to keep Kennard off the floor. 3 weeks later he's the damn assistant trainer in street clothes every night. Look at the two players drafted next to Kennard...Monk is getting decent minutes for Charlotte and Mitchell is getting decent minutes for Utah. Kennard is a better offensive player than both of those guys and he cannot get a jersey for his team?!?! Kennard was the best shooter in the draft and his offensive skills go way beyond shooting....he's a distributor and as crafty an offensive player as I have ever seen at getting and taking good shots. Some like to say that defense is the problem but hell, 3/4 of the teams in the league don't play defense...have you seen the scores? Look, I don't expect for Kennard to get more than 15-20 minutes per night but for him to be inactive for an entire road trip is absolutely ludicrous. Why draft a guy that high and not play him?? I'm happy the Pistons are off to a good start but Kennard has a very bright future that is going to be delayed while the team suits up a bunch of castoffs that will never bring the team a deep playoff run. Help me out....what is going on with the Pistons and Kennard?

[Kilo]

Because Stan didn't think Luke would be able to play right away because of defensive limitations and thus signed Langston Galloway. We didn't know how KCP re-signing was going to play out, and I suspect we had a red line RFA offersheet that we wouldn't have matched over and thus needed LG as insurance against that as well.

The bigger crime is dressing Reggie Bullock over Kennard. It's not Bullock was highly sought after - we got him at the end of the FA period as a depth guy. Kennard should ALWAYS dress, even if he's out of the rotation - because we could always play him in blow out wins or losses in the very least.

If we re-sign Avery Bradley in the off-season, than Galloway needs to be moved. But with 2yrs and $14M left it might not be that easy. Might have to move Ish and his expiring 6M deal and use Langston as full time back-up PG. If Bradley heads elsewhere as a UFA, we go with Galloway/Kennard (or vice versa) given we'd still be capped out.

[Izzite]

He tends to play vets over rooks. I agree, he’s a special player and deserves to be on the court. I love everything about his game. So patient with the ball in his hands, smooth jumper, moves the ball and overall just makes good decisions. Disappointed I haven’t been able to see him play more.

[Izzite]

Because Stan didn't think Luke would be able to play right away because of defensive limitations and thus signed Langston Galloway. We didn't know how KCP re-signing was going to play out, and I suspect we had a red line RFA offersheet that we wouldn't have matched over and thus needed LG as insurance against that as well.

The bigger crime is dressing Reggie Bullock over Kennard. It's not Bullock was highly sought after - we got him at the end of the FA period as a depth guy. Kennard should ALWAYS dress, even if he's out of the rotation - because we could always play him in blow out wins or losses in the very least.

Bullock should NOT be blocking his minutes. It pisses me off lol

[GreekAlex]

I agree with everything Kilo said.

Galloway has been solid and deserves his minutes but it's hard to justify Luke not getting a shot over Reggie Bullock.

[MotownMadness]

He will get his time eventually. It's not the end of the world at the moment as he's here for a long time still.

[ByeByeDre]

Don't expect any Kennard time - the gun's pointed at Stan's head. He's going with vets.

[Kaboom3]

Thanks for the replies....seems like I may not be the only one a little disappointed in how they are using Kennard. Here is my next question....I hear a lot of people saying the Kennard pick over Mitchell was a disaster. Do you think SVG would be giving Mitchell minutes if he were here? I just think Luke ended up in possibly the worst case scenario (minus the Warriors and Cavs) for getting some experience his rookie year. The Pistons are flooded with wing players and it appears that Kennard is the odd man out. I just don't agree with how they are using him. I played D1 college basketball and can tell you that watching Kennard at Duke was really something special....the kid works his ass off and has an offensive skill set that can only be labeled as elite. As someone mentioned above, the absolute worst case scenario for him would be to at least gain some minutes at the end of blowouts. I just don't get it.

[ImHeisenberg]

SVG is, and has been in "win now" mode since he got here. He doesn't care about player development, because he won't be around the reap the rewards of it. It's short sighted, and selfish. But, that's how most coaches are.

Also, Kennard has been bad from behind the arc, the one thing he was supposed to be able to do immediately.

I think he deserves more opportunity than he's been given. But, referencing my first point, SVG doesn't care. He's more interested in saving his job, and winning as many games as he can.

[GreekAlex]

Thanks for the replies....seems like I may not be the only one a little disappointed in how they are using Kennard. Here is my next question....I hear a lot of people saying the Kennard pick over Mitchell was a disaster. Do you think SVG would be giving Mitchell minutes if he were here? I just think Luke ended up in possibly the worst case scenario (minus the Warriors and Cavs) for getting some experience his rookie year. The Pistons are flooded with wing players and it appears that Kennard is the odd man out. I just don't agree with how they are using him. I played D1 college basketball and can tell you that watching Kennard at Duke was really something special....the kid works his ass off and has an offensive skill set that can only be labeled as elite. As someone mentioned above, the absolute worst case scenario for him would be to at least gain some minutes at the end of blowouts. I just don't get it.

Before summer league, I was very concerned with his lack of athleticism hindering his defensive potential but once I saw he could hang on D I was relieved. Then in the preseason and his limited regular season minutes he actually surprised me by how engaged he was on defense. He never got embarrassed or looked out of place and with what he brings on offense he deserves a shot.

Henry's defense on the other hand

[vege]

He got outplayed by Galloway badly, after a very impressive start he didn't impress anymore (which is normal for a rookie drafted with the #12 pick), SVG tried 3 guards lineups and they were pretty bad, even Galloway been playing very limited minutes so there's simply no minutes for Kennard at the moment. SVG and Gores need this team to make the playoffs badly this season.

The attendance is very low, the team recorded the highest money loss last season, and the way to improve it is making the playoffs, so the veterans are going to play, I don't think Henry will be part of the rotation for much longer either. Detroit should've traded Henry and the #12 pick for a good veteran to be honest, because we are not going to develop them right now because of the reasons I just posted.

[7r5ur]

SVG is, and has been in "win now" mode since he got here. He doesn't care about player development, because he won't be around the reap the rewards of it. It's short sighted, and selfish. But, that's how most coaches are.

Also, Kennard has been bad from behind the arc, the one thing he was supposed to be able to do immediately.

I think he deserves more opportunity than he's been given. But, referencing my first point, SVG doesn't care. He's more interested in saving his job, and winning as many games as he can.

So has Bullock and so has Leuer. Both are guys who were brought in for their ability to stretch the floor. They both still see consistent minutes.

Bullock I can understand given that he's rusty, but so is Luke playing once a week if he's lucky. Gotta give him a chance to get into a rhythm. The fact that Luke is shooting 67% from inside the arc is enough to get him on the floor. Give him more minutes and he'll be the best perimeter weapon on this team.

To me Stan's job shouldn't just be balancing on if we're able to sneak into the playoffs. If there's no growth from the lottery picks that HE DRAFTED, his job should be on the line regardless of the playoffs. This team needs playoffs AND development.

[Spider156]

I think SVG just doesn't play rookies in away games specially the first west coast trip. I think Kennard will play eventually probably against the bucks. Look at how stanley didn't play and now he's starting. Kennard will get his opportunity sooner or later. Henry is playing a lot more than I thought he would which is a good sign.

[whitehops]

I'm disappointed kennard is getting DNP's but not too concerned long-term. He's shown good flashes both offensively and defensively but has struggles on both ends as well.

Defensively is probably the biggest reason he's not playing but he's shown he's a disciplined defender. Not reaching, not biting for pump fakes, just moving his feet to stay in front and get a hand straight up is what he should be doing. A big thing is his lack of strength though, any time he's the low man and has to rotate onto a bigger player it's like a guaranteed bucket. He's also a bit slow on his rotations though which is probably a combination of him still not processing the game at 100% and his foot speed not being the fastest.

Offensively he makes heady plays, looks smooth, etc. but seems really hesitant to shoot 3's which really limits his effectiveness. He has that killer pump fake which has worked but eventually teams are going to adjust.


Also, teams don't draft players based on how they want to use them on day one, they draft who they think will be the best by the end of their rookie contract. Luke will get stronger and then it'll be a lot easier for SVG to play him.

[Manocad]

Not playing Aaron Rogers for a few years seems to have worked out okay.

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[GreekAlex]

Not playing Aaron Rogers for a few years seems to have worked out okay.

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Where's the Pistons Brett Favre?

[Manocad]

Not playing Aaron Rogers for a few years seems to have worked out okay.

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Where's the Pistons Brett Favre?

Not ready yet is not ready yet regardless of who's in front of him on the roster. You don't wait until your starter is in his final year then draft a rookie to replace him as the starter. No sport operates that way other than out of absolute necessity.

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[hoophabit]

I can't get that upset about Kennard yet. Looked great early, but as they got to the season he struggled with his shooting. Maybe he's a little lame, or just tired from camp. I believe SVG will use Kennard this season.

[Blkbrd671]

Why did the Pistons draft this guy if their plan is to let him rot on the bench in street clothes? It's not as if this is the 28th pick, this is a lottery pick that cannot get a uniform, much less see the floor. It's ridiculous. SVG said in the preseason that it is going to be really hard to keep Kennard off the floor. 3 weeks later he's the damn assistant trainer in street clothes every night. Look at the two players drafted next to Kennard...Monk is getting decent minutes for Charlotte and Mitchell is getting decent minutes for Utah. Kennard is a better offensive player than both of those guys and he cannot get a jersey for his team?!?! Kennard was the best shooter in the draft and his offensive skills go way beyond shooting....he's a distributor and as crafty an offensive player as I have ever seen at getting and taking good shots. Some like to say that defense is the problem but hell, 3/4 of the teams in the league don't play defense...have you seen the scores? Look, I don't expect for Kennard to get more than 15-20 minutes per night but for him to be inactive for an entire road trip is absolutely ludicrous. Why draft a guy that high and not play him?? I'm happy the Pistons are off to a good start but Kennard has a very bright future that is going to be delayed while the team suits up a bunch of castoffs that will never bring the team a deep playoff run. Help me out....what is going on with the Pistons and Kennard?

When Luke Kennard comments on RealGM

[Blkbrd671]

Why did the Pistons draft this guy if their plan is to let him rot on the bench in street clothes? It's not as if this is the 28th pick, this is a lottery pick that cannot get a uniform, much less see the floor. It's ridiculous. SVG said in the preseason that it is going to be really hard to keep Kennard off the floor. 3 weeks later he's the damn assistant trainer in street clothes every night. Look at the two players drafted next to Kennard...Monk is getting decent minutes for Charlotte and Mitchell is getting decent minutes for Utah. Kennard is a better offensive player than both of those guys and he cannot get a jersey for his team?!?! Kennard was the best shooter in the draft and his offensive skills go way beyond shooting....he's a distributor and as crafty an offensive player as I have ever seen at getting and taking good shots. Some like to say that defense is the problem but hell, 3/4 of the teams in the league don't play defense...have you seen the scores? Look, I don't expect for Kennard to get more than 15-20 minutes per night but for him to be inactive for an entire road trip is absolutely ludicrous. Why draft a guy that high and not play him?? I'm happy the Pistons are off to a good start but Kennard has a very bright future that is going to be delayed while the team suits up a bunch of castoffs that will never bring the team a deep playoff run. Help me out....what is going on with the Pistons and Kennard?

Because SVG at times has his head up his a* and continues to out coach himself at times. He still continues to play Jon Leur who literally does jack sh* for us offensively and defensively is on par with Henry Ellenson.

The other issue is LG and RB are ahead of LK in the rotation, LG's catch and shoot is a premium in this offense and a more proven product and RB defensively is versatile as well as , well use to be, a good 3 point shooter. LK is the far superior offensive player, but apparently isn't showing enough in practice to surpass those 2 guys.