Pistons select Luke Kennard with #12

[Aussie Dunker]

How do we feel about this guys? At first I was hoping someone from the top 8 or so would fall, in which Monk nearly made it through. But then I realized I hate combo guards! (even though I really like Monk!)

Seems like the best fit for us, very shifty / crafty with how he moves around the court, and an absolute dead-eye shooter from mid and deep range.

A lot of experts are tagging this as a great pick for us,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey5QbIbwQwc

[ZMonkey11]

So when are getting PG13?

Do we slide into the 8th spot now that the Chicago Bulls made the huge trade?

When are we moving Andre Drummond?

[Aussie Dunker]

So when are getting PG13?

Do we slide into the 8th spot now that the Chicago Bulls made the huge trade?

When are we moving Andre Drummond?

Hrmmm... Not sure how this relates to your thoughts on Kennard?... :confusedshrug: But I hear ya...

KCP sign and trade for PG13? Would actually be such a great fit. Athletic, defense and deep shooting

Dre / Leur
Harris / Morris
PG13 / Stanley
Kennard / Bullock
Reggie / Ish

[ZMonkey11]

It went off subject fast. I tried to stay ambivalent since the last time you reminded me to stay positive. But it is downright ridiculous now.

This dude doesn't make us any better. For comparison, Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Khris Middleton.

We can't develop these guys. We don't know how to. He looks great. And I'm sure he is going to make a great Buck or Pacer, but he doesn't help us in the least bit.

As always, Basketball Gods, please prove me wrong.

[insidehoops]

The Detroit Pistons selected Luke Kennard with the 12th pick in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft held on Thursday, June 22.

Kennard, a 6-6 guard out of Duke, averaged 15.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 31.2 minutes during his two-year career as a Blue Devil. As a sophomore at Duke last season, he averaged 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 31.2 minutes in 37 games. A consensus Second Team All-American as a sophomore, Kennard led Duke in scoring (19.5 ppg), while shooting 43.8% from beyond the arc. A final-five candidate for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year award and a member of the John R. Wooden Award All-America Team, he was named the MVP of the 2017 ACC Tournament, averaging 20.0 points and 5.3 rebounds, helping Duke to the ACC Tournament Championship. During his sophomore year, he ranked second in the ACC in scoring (19.5), three-point field goal percentage (43.8%), fourth in free throw percentage (85.6%), seventh in three-pointers per game (2.38) and eighth in field goal percentage (48.9).

A native of Middletown, OH, Kennard averaged 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 26.7 minutes in 36 games as a freshman. His three 20-point games as a freshman were the most by a Duke freshman and he ranked seventh among ACC freshmen in scoring (11.8 ppg).

[Aussie Dunker]

Just a bit more analysis on Luke from NBA.com...

Strengths
Deadly left-handed distance shooter
Crafty scorer
Can score on the catch, coming off screens or with pull-up
Intelligent
Good passer
Willing defender
Good rebounder
Excellent free-throw shooter

Weaknesses
Not super explosive
Doesn

[dd24]

It went off subject fast. I tried to stay ambivalent since the last time you reminded me to stay positive. But it is downright ridiculous now.

This dude doesn't make us any better. For comparison, Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Khris Middleton.

We can't develop these guys. We don't know how to. He looks great. And I'm sure he is going to make a great Buck or Pacer, but he doesn't help us in the least bit.

As always, Basketball Gods, please prove me wrong.

I completely agree with this. He's definitely a great shooter. The team needed that. I don't see how he really even cracks the lineup though. It makes no difference to the team next season then. We don't develop young players. Ellenson can shoot too. We didn't see him last season. Sending guys to the G League over and over again isn't development. Even Stanley doesn't play much. Benching all these lottery picks to try to be a .500 team is stupid. They need to trade a starter or two to a team that is close to contending. Our starters would come off of a contenders bench. Dre would be a starter on a contender as a 5th man. Blow it up and get draft picks and young assets. None of these teams that are actually contenders have guys that were drafted after the 5th pick as their best player. We need a few high lottery picks for once. SVG has done a terrible job with this rebuild. I want Joe D back lol.

[ZMonkey11]

I am pleasantly surprised with what I have seen from Mr. Kennard.

He didn't do wow spectacles like Stanley Johnson bullying people around 2 years ago, but he did things I saw that will translate to the NBA game.

The kid has good footwork. Every movement seems to have purpose. Very sharp moves in his triple-threat and step back game.

Kid can shoot 3s! Just give him a little space. I only watched the his highlight reel of each game, but in one of the clips, the announcer stated he started getting a feeling that every time Luke took a shot, it would go in. This kid is turning men. Can we develop him into running screens like Rip?

And Ellenson! 3s, midrange, post J, off the dribble!

CAN WE TURN INTO A DOMINATING UNDER THE BASKET TEAM?!? CAN WE BE THE 60s CELTICS?!? Probably not. Those guys got to play a lot more D, but I got hope. Hope of a good draft pick next year.

[Aussie Dunker]

Well after watching Mitchell the other day.......... !

37 points and 8 steals, geez.

[dd24]

Yeah I noticed that too lol. Still he's a 6'3" shooting guard. It can work for summer league. Let's see how he does in real games.