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Justin Bales analyzes the fantasy prospects of Pistons rookie Luke Kennard. See RotoBaller for more NBA and fantasy basketball strategy, rankings, and sleepers.
Position: SG
Team: Detroit Pistons
Draft Spot: 1.12
Analysis: Kennard enjoyed a dominant season, in which he took over as the leader of Duke's offense. He saw a massive increase in production, as he increased his averages of points, rebounds, assists, and three-point percentage. He is arguably the best pure shooter in this draft, and he flashed the potential to become a combo guard. It was far from surprising that the Pistons selected him in the lottery.
Kennard showed flashes as a freshman at Duke, but he played somewhat of limited minutes that season. Last season, he played 35.5 minutes per game, averaging 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He was also an efficient player with averages of 52.5% from two-point range and 85.6% from the free throw line. The most important part of his game was his three-point shooting, though, where he averaged a ridiculous 43.8% on 5.4 three-point attempts per game.
The Pistons have Reggie Jackson and Avery Bradley as their starters in the backcourt, but Kennard could quickly become the teams sixth man. He can become a prominent scorer off the Pistons bench after averaging 17.2 points per game in the Summer League. Detriot somewhat lack true scorers, which is the reason Kennerd, who is seen as an NBA ready prospect, can make an impact this season.
Bottom Line: Kennard will immediately produce points. He also comes with good rebounding potential for a guard. He also comes with tremendous efficiency, making a solid option for this season.
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