Duke basketball alum Luke Kennard primed for breakout season in Detroit

A significant increase in minutes this preseason may signal an increased role for one Duke basketball product.

Former Duke basketball sharpshooter Luke Kennard is looking to make a statement this season with the Detroit Pistons.

After the shooting guard’s rookie season (2017-18), in which he spent the majority of games on Detroit’s bench, Kennard saw his minutes per game increase to 22.8 and points per game to 9.7 during his sophomore campaign.

Kennard also led the Pistons in 3-point field goal percentage last season, hitting 39.4 percent from behind the arc, good for 28th in the NBA. This is an area he is capable of capitalizing on and will have every opportunity to do so if his preseason minutes are any indication of things to come.

Through three games, Pistons head coach Dwane Casey has given Kennard every opportunity to showcase his talents. He is second on the team in minutes per game (23.0).

The spike in playing time has led to a sizeable increase in most statistical categories, including points per game (11.7) and rebounds per game (4.0). This improvement in rebounding is crucial for Kennard, showing that he’s more willing to get involved in other areas on the floor.

It goes without saying that minutes per game can be a bit misleading in the preseason. For instance, Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond will undoubtedly be playing more than 22.3 and 20.5 minutes per game, respectfully, once the regular season arrives. Regardless, Kennard being second in minutes per game so far is a positive sign for the 23-year-old.

The third-year pro is primed to be the first Piston off the bench in Casey’s rotation this season. Media and fan speculation thus far points to former ACC foe (Miami) Bruce Brown Jr. starting at shooting guard for the Pistons against Indiana in their season opener. Brown impressively logged the only triple-double of the 2019 Summer League, which combined with his 2018-19 production will likely edge out Kennard in competition for a starting role.

At the opening of training camp, in regards to Kennard’s progress with the team and potential to start, Casey told the Detroit Free Press: “No decision’s been made. I’m not going to put anything on concrete. I like him with the second unit. We utilize his skillset more with the second unit.”

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A sprained AC joint kept Kennard off of the court for 16 games during the first half of last season. When he returned, the Pistons found more consistency on offense as he became a more aggressive asset with the ball, attempting 6.7 3-pointers per game.

The 6-foot-5, 205-pounder contributed to the second half of the season that saw Detroit improve from 26-30 at the All-Star break to 41-41 and the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference by the end of the regular season. The team’s turnaround was partly a credit to a spike in confidence for the relatively tentative Kennard that NBA fans observed during his rookie season.

Clearly, Kennard’s minutes on the floor are destined to increase this season. If the 2017 ACC Tournament MVP can develop some more offensive consistency and improve upon his defensive footwork from a year ago, he will be a starter for the Pistons in the near future — or at the very least a hot candidate at the trade deadline.

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