Saturday night showed exactly why the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Luke Kennard.
The 29-year-old torched the Golden State Warriors for 16 points (season-high as a Laker) on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 from three, to go along with three rebounds, three assists and a steal. The outing not only drew high praise from head coach JJ Redick, but was also the latest sign of what the team’s second unit missed all season long.
Lakers’ ‘Blender Starter’ Could Be the Real X-Factor Going Forward
JJ Redick Singles Out Luke Kennard
In his postgame remarks following LA’s 129-101 win over Golden State—which he referred to as the team’s “most complete game post All-Star break”—Redick said:
“Boy, Luke Kennard, he just starts the blender for us. We frankly have not had a ton of ‘blender starters.’ And obviously, Luka gets two on the ball, AR gets two on the ball, LeBron will get two on the ball. But just to be able to create a closeout and then make the right read and right play from there, I thought our guys were incredibly unselfish tonight. But it started with that starting group, and then I thought Luke was huge for our offense tonight.”
Luke Kennard is generating an absurd 1.52 points per shot attempt as a Laker. That's the best number of any guard or forward in the NBA, with only exclusively lob-finishing bigs like Jaxson Hayes & Jericho Sims averaging more points per shot attempt.
— Trevor Lane (@TrevorLane) March 1, 2026
Redick also praised Kennard’s “‘we score’ mentality,” referring to a pair of fourth-quarter plays where he played an integral role in each sequence:
“A play can be for him, but he’s gonna hunt out the best shot and play for the team, and all of the guys benefit from that when the ball moves. I mean, look, I called an ATO for him in the second half. He scores on it. Could’ve shot it off the initial screen, created the blender, eventually got it back and hits a step-back 3. We run it again, and this is where he’s such a cerebral player. Pat Spencer tries to top block him, and he screens his own into Jake’s guy and Smart hits Jake for a layup. That’s just connective offense right there and that’s what Luke does.”
Lakers today playbook series:
Asked head coach Redick postgame about Luke Kennard as a screener, and he mentioned the action FINLAND
Breakdown with Mind the Game footage.
Presented by @joinoffside pic.twitter.com/WlY0qdAj2r
— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) March 1, 2026
Not Just a Three-Point Specialist
Kennard appears to have finally broken the curse that comes when sharpshooters join the Lakers: he has continued to get buckets while donning the purple and gold.
Since coming from the Atlanta Hawks at this year’s trade deadline, Kennard has not only shot the leather off the ball—shooting 57% or better from the field in nine games as a Laker—but has also shown off some of his underrated attributes as a playmaker and screener.
Kennard’s reputation as a perimeter marksman has often benefited his teammates, freeing them up in the paint or on the perimeter while defenses swarm him like there’s no tomorrow.
No matter what happens this season, the Lakers have to keep Luke Kennard long-term. He gives them shooting gravity off the bench, warping defenses to create drive-and-kick opportunities for others. Last night, he used this to create three-point shots for Austin Reaves and Jake… https://t.co/qASK8tWSTh pic.twitter.com/TmefVsib3j
— Frederick Okocha (@F_rederic_k) March 1, 2026
His aforementioned off-ball screening has worked out well for other supporting Lakers, but Kennard pointed out it could be just as beneficial alongside the team’s big three, which he should get more reps with as the season winds down.
“Being a good screener, it’s something that you don’t really talk about much. You don’t see the impact of what that can be, but JJ has put me in positions to be a screener, and I think just the gravity that I have as being one of the top shooters in the league. Teams don’t want to leave me. So being a screener, getting guys open, you know, it gets me shots if I set good screens.”
Kennard’s Consistency Vital for the Lakers
If Kennard maintains his offensive versatility while remaining engaged defensively, the Lakers could have a legitimate X-factor on their hands for the rest of the season and beyond.
While Rui Hachimura has admirably settled into a bench role, his season has largely been marred with inconsistency, injury and, recently, an illness. Despite recent praise from Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton’s inconsistency and off-court antics have grown too large to ignore, and the summertime/early season hype around DA has become, well, DOA.
That leaves Kennard as a strong candidate to bear that title, acting as a sort of savior for the second unit. His arrival was huge for a group that struggled with scoring for most of the season—especially from deep. Since Kennard’s debut on Feb. 7, the Lakers’ bench is 21st in scoring (36.4 PPG) but sixth in three-point percentage (37.9%) albeit on low volume (9.7 attempts per game—29th). The veteran obviously won’t catapult them into being the best bench in the league, but he gives them extra offensive firepower while being a seamless fit with both stars and standout role players.
Kennard could still improve on his three-point volume as the season goes on (2.7 per game as a Laker). Still, he’s made a great impression and proved how effective he can be when given the green light. And with the immense value he provides off the ball, in plays that often go unnoticed, Kennard’s ability to excel on the margins will be just as important as the points he puts on the board.
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