The Phoenix Suns tasked new addition Luke Kennard with taking more 3-pointers than ever before this season, and he has already proven he is up to the challenge. In their most recent preseason game, a win over the San Antonio Spurs, he went 4-of-10 from deep, after averaging just over three per game last season when he led the entire league at 47.8 percent. In some games, these shots won't fall, but the Suns need to stick with Kennard when that happens.
Suns are set up to get best out Kennard in way nobody has before
The key difference between Kennard and the departed Grayson Allen is the latter's ability to be a secondary creator and above-average defender. Being picked on by opponents has led to Kennard being sent to the bench at previous stops, but the Suns are set up to absorb some of that pressure when it comes Kennard's way.
Dillon Brooks is their defensive lynchpin, while Miles Bridges has talked about having his best season on that end of the court. Jordan Goodwin is their most underrated defender, and he will be coming off the bench to play with Kennard in certain lineups, while Khaman Maluach has elite defensive potential.
The Suns were able to hide Jalen Green when he was available last season and still manage to be a top-10 defensive team, which is exactly what Kennard will need to continue producing. There will be lulls in his shot-making, but sending him to the bench the first time this happens won't benefit anybody. Just ask Boston Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla about the adversity that will come the Suns' way.
Kennard has already shown flashes of being a better secondary creator than he is given credit for, and if he can make that a regular fixture in his game, he will be the obvious choice for sixth man here. There is clear room to improve on the 2.3 assists per game he has averaged throughout his career to this point.
Suns will need to trust Kennard to step up when injury strikes
The hope is that the Suns can have an injury-free campaign, but we know that is unlikely to happen. Already, Bridges has tweaked an ankle, which led to Kennard getting the start against the Spurs. He trailed only Green in minutes played, which was surely an early boost to his confidence with this group.
The less said about Green's own injury woes, the better, while Head Coach Jordan Ott continues to try different combinations in the backcourt alongside Devin Booker. Kennard can be a solution in several areas outside of his elite 3-point-making ability, but in order to get there, the Suns have to stick with him even when that shot is not falling.
Given that was the primary reason he was brought to The Valley, it will be easier said than done.
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