Pippen Ain’t Easy’s 2017 NBA Draft Guide for the Chicago Bulls
Duke’s Luke Kennard
2016-17 season: 37 games played, 19.5 points on 52.5 percent shooting inside the arc (43.8 percent from 3 on 5.4 attempts per game), 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game
The projected pick for the Chicago Bulls at No. 16 in Draft Express’s updated mock draft, Duke’s Luke Kennard made one of the biggest leaps in college basketball this past season. He was more than a spot-up shooter. From year one at Duke to year two, you could see the confidence Kennard played with and it showed specifically on the offensive end, where he was one of the nation’s best shooters at almost 44 percent from deep on over five attempts a game.
(Best-case scenario) comparable players (via The Ringer’s NBA Draft Guide): Los Angeles Clippers guard J.J. Redick, Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews and former NBA journeyman Greivis Vasquez
It’s not shocking that Kennard gets a potential Redick label on his profile, being that both were impeccable shooters during their time at Duke. (Redick was a bit more high-profile, being that his team got to a Final Four and he was named national player of the year, but you get the idea.)
Still, Kennard is a solid combo guard in the making with the ability to play well on the ball and put himself in positions to score off it.
What does Draft Express think of Kennard?
"What Kennard lacks in measurables he makes up for with tremendous skill, savvy and productivity. He played the game at a different speed than almost anyone at the college level this season, using polished footwork, body control and feel to get to different spots on the floor and compensate for his just-decent tools. He came up big time after time in clutch moments in some of the most important games he competed in, showing a level of swagger and confidence that grew on NBA decision makers over time. Jonathan Givony, DX"