According to the Los Angeles Times, Clippers head coach Lue used new aid Luke Kennard as an example to reveal Kawhi Leonard and Paul George’s expectations for their teammates-be yourself, play your own game, and don’t play for others.
As part of the team cohesion training before the training camp, Clippers require players to introduce themselves in front of their teammates and coaches, one person at a time. Not long ago, during the warm-up match, Clippers backup guard Kennard was asked to introduce himself again.
In the locker room, he told us that he wanted to play better. Leonard said, if you say this in the warm-up match, it’s great, do you know what I mean? This shows that he is very focused and I like what I see.
The Clippers are eligible for an early contract extension with Kennard, and he is obviously not satisfied with his performance, which triggered his improvised comments. The season opening game with the Lakers next Wednesday will be Kennard’s return to the game after a lapse of 1 year and 1 day. This career shooter with a career three-pointer percentage of 40%, only played in the Pistons last season due to knee tendinitis. 28 games were played. In a tripartite transaction between the Clippers, Pistons and Nets on November 19 this year, Kennard was traded to the Clippers.
After the first match in training camp, I told him to be aggressive and be yourself. If you do too much, I will let you know-I doubt I will ever say that. Lue said, so, to attack the basket, shoot, and create opportunities for others is to be yourself. I told him, Leonard and PG, they need you to do this, that’s what they want from you. So come here not to be part of the team, not to play for other people, or to play your own game, and then we will adjust your game according to our tactical requirements. “
In the last warm-up game of the Clippers this Friday, Kennard scored 13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 0 turnovers in 22 minutes of playing time, shooting 42% from the field and shooting from three-pointers. 50%, Lue said this was Kennard’s most aggressive game to date. In the previous warm-up match, Kennard had 2 turnovers in almost every game.
But Kennard is not the only one who needs to be patient.
Although Lue said that his primary task of the warm-up match is to familiarize the players with his system rather than the result of the match, the Clippers lost all three warm-up matches. In the warm-up game, his opponents made the league’s fifth-highest field goal percentage.
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