{"id":701389,"date":"2026-04-06T13:33:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:33:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/701389\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T13:33:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:33:34","slug":"luke-kennard-must-step-up-for-lakers-without-luka-doncic-and-austin-reaves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/701389\/","title":{"rendered":"Luke Kennard must step up for Lakers without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

The stage at American Airlines Center on Easter Sunday felt exposed. LIke it was stripped of its stars. Sure, there was still LeBron James<\/a> and on the other side of the court 19-year-old phenom Cooper Flagg<\/a>, but there was no Luka Doncic making his return to Dallas. No Austin Reaves or Kyrie Irving either.<\/p>\n

In their absence, multiple players on the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> roster will have an opportunity to step up and shine. One of those players is Luke Kennard.<\/p>\n

For the Lakers, this is no longer about surviving a stretch without their top two scorers who average 58 points per game combined. This is about forging a new identity without them. One that will hopefully sustain them through not just the remainder of the regular season, but into the first round of the NBA playoffs as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth those guys are going to try and come back,\u201d said Lakers head coach J.J. Redick of Doncic and Reaves. \u201cIt\u2019s our job to extend the season so that they can come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The former 12th overall pick in the 2017 Draft was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\"Before<\/p>\n

Before the Dallas game, Kennard was averaging 8.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Playing without their engine and their spark plug, the Lakers sputtered on Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks 134-128<\/a>. But a silver lining in the loss was the play of Kennard.<\/p>\n

The former 12th overall pick in the 2017 Draft was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks <\/a>on Feb. 5 for Gabe Vincent and a future second-round pick. Kennard was always seen as a luxury for the Lakers, a spot-up shooter off the bench that could improve their paltry three-point percentage.<\/p>\n

Thrust into the starting lineup at point guard in place of Doncic, Kennard was suddenly asked to do something he hasn\u2019t done before in his nine-year career: become a playmaker.<\/p>\n

Entering the game, Kennard was averaging 8.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. Through two-and-a-half quarters on Sunday, he had his first career triple-double, finishing with 15 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists. He also had the highest rating out of any Lakers player on the floor with a +8.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an encouraging sign. He did a nice job,\u201d said Redick of Kennard\u2019s performance. \u201cHim playing 41 minutes and having to handle the ball that much is not a normal thing for him\u2026but he did some amazing things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before we get carried away, it\u2019s worth noting that one game does not erase years of precedent. Kennard has built his career as a three-point specialist. A sniper that can hide in the corner, and space the floor. Asking him to morph into any version of Luka Doncic is not just ambitious, but it borders on reckless.<\/p>\n

But honestly, what other choice do the Lakers have?<\/p>\n

Without Doncic and Reaves, the offense doesn\u2019t just shrink, it collapses inward. The geometry changes. A 41-year-old James will be asked to shoulder the offensive load<\/a>, but he can\u2019t have the ball in his hands for 48 straight minutes. And unless someone stretches the floor not just with shooting, but with decision-making, this team becomes predictable. Easy to guard. Easy to beat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to play lineups that haven\u2019t played together all season,\u201d said Redick before the game. \u201cAll the guys know that we need to step up. We need all hands on deck.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of those hands has to be Kennard.<\/p>\n

\"Kennard<\/p>\n

Kennard has built his career as a three-point specialist. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

\"Kennard\u2019s<\/p>\n

Kennard\u2019s offensive evolution is a must, and his defensive engagement is just as critical. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

He has to be aggressive. Not selectively. Consistently. That means hunting his shot, not waiting for it. That means turning a closeout into a drive, not a swing pass. That means reading the second defender, manipulating weak-side help, and delivering passes that create advantage\u2014not just maintain it. Sunday was a promising start, especially when he threw a lob to James on the break in the third quarter.<\/p>\n

But if the Lakers think they can outscore teams without Doncic and Reaves, they\u2019re fooling themselves. This team\u2019s margin for error just evaporated. Effort, communication, physicality\u2014those aren\u2019t optional now, they\u2019re survival tools. And while Kennard\u2019s offensive evolution is a must, his defensive engagement might quietly be just as critical.<\/p>\n

Because on Sunday, it wasn\u2019t even the Lakers offense that was the problem. It was the defense. Against a Mavericks team that was 24-53 and already looking ahead to ping-pong balls, the Lakers defense, that had held opponents to 115 points per game this season, allowed Dallas to score 134. Nearly 20 points more than normal.<\/p>\n

\u201cMissing those two guys is a big change,\u201d admitted Kennard after the loss. \u201cWe did some really good things offensively, but it has to be defense for us. That\u2019s what we have to hang our hat on going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kennard isn\u2019t being asked to replicate Doncic. That would be absurd. He\u2019s being asked to expand\u2014to stretch the edges of his game in real time, under pressure, with no runway. That\u2019s where players either evolve or get exposed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something I\u2019ve never really done, being that involved and having the ball in my hands that much,\u201d said Kennard of his new role. \u201cI have to be better with it. The shots are going to fall, but it\u2019s about getting everyone connected and being organized out there and just being confident with it. It\u2019s something I\u2019m looking forward to getting better with.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Kennard can sustain even 70% of what he showed on Sunday\u2013double-digit assists, keep defenses honest with his shooting, and compete defensively\u2013then the Lakers can stay afloat.<\/p>\n

But if he shrinks\u2014if he defaults back into being a spot-up spectator\u2014then the Lakers season will be over sooner than later.<\/p>\n

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/p>\n

California Post News: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a>
California Post Sports Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, X<\/a>
California Post Opinion<\/a>
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!<\/a>
California Post App: Download here!<\/a>
Home delivery: Sign up here!<\/a>Page Six Hollywood: <\/a>Sign up here!<\/a><\/p>\n