The Atlanta Hawks have had quite a productive offseason, one that's seen them put focus on bringing in rotational pieces catered to the strengths of their main core: Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, and Zaccharie Risacher. One of the players acquired has been former Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard, who the Hawks signed to a one-year, $11 million contract earlier in the summer.
Luke Kennard has never been a name that necessarily grabs headlines, and his impact has flown severely under the radar these past couple of seasons. In fact, Luke Kennard is currently leading the league in career 3P%, with a career percentage of 43.7%, and he currently ranks third all-time, sitting just behind Steve Kerr and Hubert Davis at 45.4% and 44.1%, respectively.
The craziest part? Luke Kennard has already made over 200 more threes than both of the guys ahead of him, and he's only been in the league for eight seasons!
He isn't just accurate - he's proven, consistent, and offers a real impact.
The raw numbers aren't even what makes Kennard's shooting ability so special; it's how that shooting ability has translated into real-game impact. He demands attention from the defense the second he crosses half-court, something teams will have to adjust to. This, in turn, opens the floor for Atlanta to capitalize on more easy paint opportunities.
Additionally, this increased attention on the wing forces the defense into either singling out a guy to guard or causing the defense to make risky rotations to adjust to this spacing. To give you an example, picture Trae Young at the top of the wing orchestrating your standard pick-and-roll. With Porzingis rolling to the basket, the defense has to pick their poison: collapse on the lob or fight the screen to stay on Trae.
Now, imagine Luke Kennard is perched up in the corner amidst all of this clutter in the paint. It's almost a guaranteed look for either of the three, and Luke Kennard has the scoring and playmaking ability to take advantage of the hole this opens up for their offense. Essentially, Luke Kennard offers the perfect remedy to balance out Atlanta's strong presence in the paint.
Kennard is the perfect mesh for this Quin Snyder offense
There's a lot to look forward to if you're an Atlanta Hawks fan, because the buzz is more than just a new name on the roster. Luke Kennard brings a skillset that can both elevate and redefine Atlanta's offensive identity, and there's no reason to assume his high-level efficiency can't continue to climb.
So when the season kicks off in October, don't be shocked when you feel the presence Kennard adds to this already highly-touted roster. After all, every team wants a shooter, and Atlanta was able to get the guy who can do it better than anyone else.