Sneaky Luke Kennard stat shows how controversial lineup could thrive in Atlanta

The signing of Luke Kennard went under the radar.

Of all the moves that Atlanta made this offseason, bringing in the sharpshooter on a one-year, $11 million contract did not get the immediate attention that it deserved. This may have been because of an unfair narrative set by the mainstream media about outside shooting specialists.

While his critics are right in the fact that Luke Kennard is a poor defender, one crucial development proves that this will not be a problem for the Hawks next season. While playing next to a small guard in Memphis, the offensive production from the duo outweighed the struggles on the other end.

Kennard will not be Atlanta's starter at shooting guard, but he will still play a heavy amount of minutes next to Trae Young in the backcourt. The fact of the matter is that Young is a small guard who has obvious limitations. Despite both being negative defenders, this pairing could soon become one of the most effective in the league.

History proves that this backcourt pairing will be elite.

Both Young and Kennard are excellent outside shooters. Young's percentages from beyond the arc have been down in the last two seasons, but the newfound spacing around him should help him hit at a higher clip.

Kennard's biggest strength is his consistency. He has a career mark of 43.8% from deep, the third-highest in NBA history. Trae Young has never played next to a sharpshooter quite like him.

This would be a similar situation to Kennard when he was in Memphis, except he is now playing alongside Trae Young, a much better overall player than Ja Morant. No shade to Ja, but Young's ability as a playmaker and floor spacer outweigh his athleticism.

Even as two guards with defensive limitations, the Morant/Kennard minutes were spectacular. Last season, the Grizzlies had a net rating of +8 when the two shared the floor. Their output was elite, increasing the team's offensive rating by 6.

Think of how Trae Young looked next to Kevin Huerter. Neither were strong defenders, but they understood their role and complemented each other well. Luke Kennard is a better overall player than Huerter and will be in a lesser role, but the parallels between the two backcourts are striking.

The most recent instance of Atlanta placing another poor defender next to Trae Young was when they traded for Dejounte Murray. This was doomed from the start. Both players were ball-dominant and did not have the right defenders around them.

Luke Kennard is bound to succeed in the minutes he plays next to Trae Young. He is not ball-dominant, but can get himself a bucket when needed.

This could be looked at as one of the most underrated signings of the offseason if the two complement each other as well as he and Morant did.