One of the few controversial moves the Atlanta Hawks made this offseason was the acquisition of Luke Kennard, who was signed to a one-year, $11 million contract this offseason. While this was widely regarded as an overpay, the consequences of overpaying for a one-year contract are marginal.
Zach Lowe, however, was not convinced by the signing. When addressing the Hawks’ concerning lack of depth this season, he said, “Luke Kennard gets us to [the 8th spot on the rotation]. It's like, ok, I like the idea of Luke Kennard. Every team that has him likes the idea of Luke Kennard, and then the idea of Luke Kennard gets played off the floor when the games really matter.”
Unfortunately for the Hawks, Lowe has a point. Kennard hasn’t seen an extended playoff run since blossoming as a player, but his head-scratching flaws on both ends of the floor pose massive problems to teams rostering him.
Kennard has to rediscover his game or be shipped by the deadline
Despite being the active career three point percentage leader and widely regarded as one of the best shooters alive, Kennard has taken just 10 attempts from deep through four games. If Kennard isn’t shooting the ball, what was the point of signing him in the first place?
The shooting issue should be addressed soon, either by scheming Kennard into the offense or by reducing his playing time. His biggest weakness, however, is his defense. He is a true traffic cone on the floor, offering little to no resistance to matchups driving to the paint. Perhaps the only positive on defense is that it usually looks like he’s trying, even if it is a pointless endeavor.
So, how can Quin Snyder and Kennard address this issue?
The only way to make Kennard a viable player is to make his offensive impact outweigh his horrid defense. He has rarely seen opportunities to shoot in the flow of the game, which raises an area Snyder can work on to assist Kennard. Involving him in actions that threaten defenses with his three point shot will pay dividend for the other players on the court, as Kennard’s shooting gravity can stretch defenses like few others.
Kennard himself must also work to be a more aggressive option. He appears to be filling Atlanta’s backup point guard void, which perhaps has forced him to adopt a more careful mindset with the ball in his hands. Regardless of the reasoning, Kennard has passed up multiple clean looks. This cannot happen.
While it isn’t time to sound the alarm yet, Kennard does not look like the player Atlanta thought they were getting. As the Hawks’ depth looks gloomier by the day, Kennard must rise to the occasion or risk being treated as salary filler for the team’s next move.