AUBURN HILLS – The players who’ve congregated at the Pistons practice facility
ahead of September’s voluntary workouts leading to training camp are mostly
first- and second-year Pistons: the last two No. 1 picks, Henry Ellenson and
Luke Kennard; the guys signed to be affiliate players with the Grand Rapids
Drive, Landry Nnoko and Derrick Willis; Luis Montero, the first player the
Pistons signed to the newly created two-way contracts; and Eric Moreland, added
as the No. 3 center after a strong D-League showing.
Ish Smith has spent the bulk of his off-season here, as well, but as an
established veteran he often gets his work done solo before the young guys get
into some two-on-two or three-on-three action.
So that leaves the Pistons heavy on big men and short on ballhandlers for those
group sessions.
And that means plenty of time for Luke Kennard to play with the ball in his
hands. The makeup of those groups is more a reflection of the roster than
anything else, but it works well in speeding Kennard’s introduction to a role
beyond what the Pistons might have envisioned on draft night.
Kennard won’t be an NBA point guard, but he showed them in Summer League that he
can be a weapon making plays off the dribble.
“I’ve been handling the ball a lot,” Kennard said. “Having the ball in my hands,
trying to create.”
Stan Van Gundy says he’s never been more open to what his rotation might look
like this close to the start of the season. Kennard’s breadth of offensive
skills – 3-point shooting, a mid-range game, ability to score off the dribble,
passing – are going to open the door for playing time. If he shows he won’t be
overwhelmed defensively, Kennard might well prove hard to dislodge.
He’s polishing that offensive game – getting in plenty of shots at the greater
NBA 3-point distance, experimenting with pick-and-roll situations, working on
his ballhandling – but offense has always come naturally to Kennard. He’s really
focused on defense and, toward that end, on the weight room to add the strength
he knows is essential to hold up. It was something he started as soon as Duke’s
season ended and he prepared for the draft. Even with a hectic draft workout
schedule, he found the time to get in the weight room and continues to do so,
attaching himself to Pistons strength coach Jordan Sabourin.
“Any chance that I have to get in the weight room and try to work on that, I was
doing it,” he said. “Sometimes it was a little rough to get in the weight room,
just traveling wise. I went to the rookie (orientation) in New York (earlier
this month) for about a week, but any chance I had to get in the weight room, I
took advantage of it.”
Kennard has a solid frame and says he’s already feeling the difference in
workouts.
“We’ve been able to play with some of the guys, live stuff, and I can tell that
it’s really paying off. It’s definitely working.”
Kennard has become the pupil of new assistant coach Rex Walters, who last season
coached the Grand Rapids Drive, the Pistons D-League affiliate. As a fellow
southpaw who played Kennard’s position over a seven-year NBA career, Walters has
formed a quick bond with the 21-year-old.
“Rex is great,” Kennard said. “He’s taught me so much so far in not a long
period of time. He’s had experience, he’s a lefty, so we can relate to each
other in the way that we play the game. I’ve really enjoyed working with him.”
Avery Bradley is a good bet to lead the Pistons in minutes played this season
for his two-way ability. Kennard and Langston Galloway are the logical
candidates to take backup minutes, though Van Gundy could also use Reggie
Bullock or Stanley Johnson at shooting guard. And with the Pistons now much
deeper at the wing positions, Van Gundy anticipates using more three-guard
lineups – in part as a response to the growing NBA trend toward downsizing and
prioritizing shooting and playmaking.
Kennard, recently settled into a new apartment chosen to situate him
conveniently both to Auburn Hills and the new downtown Little Caesars Arena, is
pushing as hard as he can to make it tough for Van Gundy to exercise patience
with the rookie.
“Honestly, I just want to win,” Kennard said of his expectations. “I love to
win. So any way I can make an impact, that’s what I want to do. I know
everybody’s really, really focused. They’re ready to go. I just want to make an
impact any way I can.”
Player: Luke Kennard
Media Content:
http://www.nba.com/pistons/features/kennards-rookie-goal-i-just-want-make-impact-
any-way-i-can
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Detroit Pistons, Luke Kennard, Detroit Pistons
Media Thumbnail:
http://i.cdn.turner.com/drp/nba/pistons/sites/default/files/kennard_800_170825.jp
g
Taxonomy: True Blue Pistons, #Trending
Story Link:
http://www.nba.com/pistons/features/kennards-rookie-goal-i-just-want-make-impact-
any-way-i-can
