SAN FRANCISCO — Lakers Look to New Players After Big Win

After a decisive victory against the Warriors on Saturday, the Lakers’ leading stars—Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reeves—certainly made headlines. In a surprising move, Coach JJ Redick announced that the names of the newer players would be omitted moving forward.

“Luke Kennard really gets things going for us,” Redick noted. “Honestly, we don’t have many players who can start the mixer.”

So, what does stirring the mixer mean for Kennard?

There was a moment in the game, around 7:14 left in the fourth quarter, when Kennard navigated a back screen from Jake LaRavia. He smoothly positioned himself behind the three-point line after a screen-the-screener play, then came off a pin down set by Maxi Clever.

This maneuver actually led to the ejection of Warriors center Quinten Post, who has excelled with a career three-point shooting percentage of 44.2%. As he chased Kennard, who’s currently shooting an impressive 49.1% from beyond the arc—the best in the league—he forced the Warriors’ defense to collapse. Kennard then passed to Jared Vanderbilt in the corner.

After a few passes, Kennard took advantage of the opportunity he created and drained a step-back three over Guy Santos.

“Luka is going to score; AR is going to score; LeBron is going to score,” Redick acknowledged. “But being able to create those closeouts and make the right decisions is vital… Luke was crucial for our offense.”

This play was part of Kennard’s standout performance, where he scored 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting with 4-of-7 from three-point range. It marked his highest scoring game since joining the Lakers on February 5.

“I know I’ve been here only a short time, but when you have a team that can penetrate and share the ball—making multiple passes within a possession—it just feels different,” Kennard reflected. “We’re looking sharp and can rack up points. Of course, the ball often has to be in the hands of Doncic, Reaves, and James for plays to happen, and that’s how it should be. But for those of us coming off the bench, we just need to be prepared, play the right way, and keep the pace up.”

In a subsequent possession, Kennard set up LaRavia’s back screen, which forced Spencer to make a move on LaRavia’s defender, Nate Williams. With Marcus Smart’s help, he opened up a path for an alley-oop layup for LaRavia.

“It’s all about connecting on the attack,” Redick said. “That’s exactly what Luke brings.”

Though Kennard’s contributions might not show up in the box score, the impact of his screening was significant.

“We don’t highlight it much, but we excel at screening,” Kennard commented. “It’s easy to overlook how impactful that can be. JJ has positioned me well as a screener. Given my reputation as one of the top shooters, defenders hesitate to leave me open. When you set a good screen, it helps your teammates get better shots, and I take pride in that.”

The Lakers are not only focusing on Kennard’s shooting but also evaluating the other dimensions of his offensive game.

“He has that knack for finishing near the rim and capitalizing on defensive pressure from his shooting,” James noted. “Teams often try to take him off the line, but he can exploit that by driving to create plays for others. His extra passes and kick-outs are important for our strategy.”

Kennard values the chance to showcase more of his offensive skills.

“It boosts my confidence to do more than just shoot from the perimeter,” he said. “When we secure defensive stops, I can define my role and capitalize on it. We thrive when we score inside and make multiple passes. If I get a swing pass from players like Luka, Bron, or Austin, I can either shoot or drive and create plays. I always strive to make the right choice.”