I was looking at his stats and he is a career 43.9% 3 point shooter. Last year his 3 point field goal % was 45% which was 2nd best in the league.
Although his defense isn’t that great, I don’t think it’s bad enough to pass on someone who shoots the ball so well. I believe he’s a much better defender than Trae Young. 3 point shooting is such a valuable skill in today’s NBA. So what gives?
It’s not just his defense. He’s undersized with a short wingspan and has a very low release. So it’s extremely difficult for him to get off open looks. And he can’t really playmake or create his own shot either. The league has tons of guys who can shoot close to 40% but are also long and can defend and do other things. The days of 1-dimensional catch-and-shoot guards is over. I would never sign Kennard. And I say that as someone who was a fan of his a few years ago on the Clippers.