Several months after signing Luke Kennard to a one-year deal, the Atlanta Hawks traded him to the Lakers for Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick, creating an $11 million trade exception in the process. It didn't take long for Kennard to make his former team regret the trade, but that sentiment has started to change.
He had two big games to start the playoffs for the Lakers, dropping 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field and 5-of-5 from three in Game 1. Kennard followed that up with 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 from deep in Game 2. He didn't have the best shooting night in Game 3 (4-of-12 from the field), but he still had 14 in LA's four-point overtime win.
The Lakers could've swept the Rockets with a Game 4 win, but they lost that one, 115-96. Kennard had just seven points in 23 minutes on 3-of-8 shooting from the field. He didn't hit one of his three attempts from deep.
Los Angeles moved on to Game 5, but Houston forced a Game 6. It was a bad time for Kennard to have his worst game of the playoffs, as he scored only one point in 31 minutes, shooting 0-of-4 from the field. Kennard started the second half on the bench, with JJ Redick playing Austin Reaves in his first game back from injury.
Luke Kennard is struggling at worst time for the Lakers
Vincent can't match Kennard's overall production since the trade, but he did have six times as many points against the Knicks in Game 5 as Kennard did on Wednesday. He also hasn't had a one-point game in their first-round series, either. That has to count for something, right?
All jokes aside, if Kennard's slump continues in Game 6, and maybe even Game 7, and the Rockets become the first team to come back from a 3-0 deficit, the Lakers certainly won't be as high on the guard as they were at the beginning of the series.
He does have a history of going cold in the playoffs, as in the Grizzlies' first-round series last year against the Thunder, he averaged only 4.5 points per game on 22.2% shooting from three. In 2023, when Memphis played the Lakers, Kennard did a little better, averaging 7.2 points on 50% from three, but only on 3.2 attempts per game.
Maybe he will be able to flip the script on Friday night by knocking down shots, but if not, as Hawks fans know, he's borderline unplayable when he's not a positive on that end.
Now, let's hope Vincent plays the role of unexpected hero for Atlanta tonight. He does have experience stepping up in the playoffs, so he has it in him. Maybe he will channel some of that energy for the State Farm Arena crowd.
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