Lakers Trade for Sharpshooter Luke Kennard; Austin Reaves leads a 14-Point Comeback Vs the 76ers
The trade deadline has come and gone.
The Lakers made only one trade Thursday morning, sending Gabe Vincent and a 2032 2nd-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for Luke Kennard.
Yesterday’s trade was L.A.’s first and only trade since acquiring Luka Doncic last February.
Does Luke Kennard address the Lakers’ defensive flaws? No. Does he suddenly catapult the Lakers to the top of the Western Conference? Probably not.
But he is, however, an elite three-point shooter, shooting a league best 49.7% from three on 3.2 attempts per game.
The 29-year-old guard is a career 44% three-point shooter and has been reliable in that department for all 9 of his NBA seasons. The Lakers are just the 21st-best three-point shooting team in the NBA at 34.9 percent, and adding Kennard to their bench will definitely give them a much-needed boost.
While the Lakers have often struggled from beyond the arc, they still generate good looks. Luka, LeBron, and Austin are each talented playmakers and are incredibly capable of creating open shots for their teammates, making Kennard a perfect fit. Doncic and James’ former teams have historically thrived when they’re surrounded by players who can consistently catch and shoot the three.
Austin Reaves Erupts for 35 Points in Thursday’s Win Over the Sixers
In only his second game back from injury on a minute restriction, Austin Reaves lit up the Sixers for 35 points in just 25 minutes. This was after going scoreless in the first quarter.
He shot 12-17 overall and 5-8 from three. On top of that, Luka Doncic exited the game in the first half, reportedly due to “left leg soreness”.
The extent of Doncic’s injury is unknown.
The Sixers only shot 5-24 from three. A bit of a sigh of relief, considering the Lakers have gotten used to opponents torching them from three. L.A.’s ugly turnover habits showed up last night, turning the ball over 22 times, and it was a big part of why they trailed by 14 at one point.
The Lakers, however, dominated the rebounding battle, winning 42-28. Ten of those were offensive boards, and Maxi Kleber was crucial in giving the Lakers second-chance looks, especially in the 4th quarter.
The Lakers have found a bit of their groove, winning 7 of their last 10 games. And now with Reaves back in the lineup, they’ll look to make a huge push during the second half of the season.
They sit just 1 game away from 3rd in the West.
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