Luke Kennard scored 10 points in his Lakers' debut.
Luke Kennard's first game as a Los Angeles Laker went off without a hitch as the Lakers outlasted the Golden State Warriors 105-99 on Saturday and for Kennard, he's already enjoying every second he can playing for one of the most storied franchises in the NBA.
When the Lakers traded for Luke Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks, they knew exactly what they were getting: an elite three point shooter who can provide a spark coming off the bench, and that's exactly what he did on Saturday.
Kennard scored 10 points in 26 minutes for the Warriors and grabbed two rebounds and two assists. He shot 4-7 from the field and 2-4 from three point range and that's exactly what his task will be from here on out.
Kennard's Mission to Be Aggressive
After the game, Kennard said that Lakers head coach JJ Redick's main directive to him was to "shoot the ball and be aggressive" and even if there was some hesitancy in his first game with his new teammates, Kennard said he probably passed up some open shots in the game, his shooting precision has already made an impact.
He'll be taking more time to get acquainted with the rest of the team and settled into his new surroundings in future training session, but as far as Saturday's win is concerned, Kennard is soaking up his chance to play for the Purple and Gold.
"This is the biggest stage in basketball... Playing for the Lakers, playing with these guys, these big time guys, it's special," Kennard said (via ESPN Los Angeles). "I've got a lot to learn still and I'll be in the gym tomorrow asking a lot of questions, but man that was a lot of fun."
Six Lakers in Double Digits
LeBron James led Los Angeles in scoring with 20 points along with seven rebounds and 10 assists and six Lakers in total scored in the double digits to provide the team with some much-needed lift with Luka Doncic out with a hamstring injury, and Kennard's successful debut looks to be full of promise for the team's chemistry.
His ability to threaten from the perimeter is already making such an impact. Opposing defenses know that Kennard shouldn't be left alone to get open shots, but with threats like James and Austin Reaves on the floor, there's only so many places a defense can be at once.
That extra threat opens up so many opportunities for the Lakers' offensive spacing and when Doncic returns to the court, a Los Angeles offense that has already powered the team to one of the best records in the NBA will be even more effective.