Luke Kennard doesn’t need to be something he isn’t in Phoenix, and that clarity might be exactly why the Suns believe he can make an immediate impact.
Through the preseason, Phoenix has shown off the kind of depth that has fans paying attention, and Kennard has already fit neatly into the picture. He’s come off the bench in one spot and stepped into the starting group when Devin Booker was out against the San Antonio Spurs, a sign that the Suns already know how they want to use him.
That role should suit him. Kennard’s value is obvious when he’s allowed to do what he does best: space the floor and knock down threes.
He led the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage last season at 47.8 percent, and his latest showing against San Antonio was another reminder of why that skill matters. Kennard scored a team-high 20 points and hit 4-of-10 shots from deep.
For a player whose game is built around getting open and firing, that kind of workload is exactly the point.
The Suns’ willingness to let him stay in that lane could be a big reason he succeeds in ways he hasn’t elsewhere. His last few teams have tried to expand his responsibilities, but Phoenix appears ready to keep things simple: use him as a sixth man, plug him into the starting lineup when needed, and let the shooting carry the load. He can create for teammates, and he has shown that already, but his real value is in stretching defenses and punishing help.
That matters even more with Booker struggling badly from deep in preseason. Kennard gives Head Coach Jordan Ott another reliable option to open the floor for Dillon Brooks and Miles Bridges, and even Khaman Maluach can benefit whether he’s in the starting five or coming off the bench.
Phoenix also looks prepared to cover the minutes and shots that belonged to Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale. Kennard doesn’t need to replace them one-for-one in every way, but he does need to supply the shooting and enough secondary playmaking to keep the offense moving. Anything he adds defensively is a bonus.
The key is that the Suns seem to know exactly what they have. Kennard has a defined role before the regular season even starts, and that gives one of Phoenix’s biggest offseason additions a real chance to help right away.
In Other News...
Luke Kennard Is Giving The Suns More Than They Expected On The Wing
Grayson Allen set a pretty specific benchmark for the Suns wing spot during his three seasons in Phoenix, giving them steady spacing, a reliable scoring punch and the kind of perimeter production that fit cleanly into the rotation. Luke Kennard has stepped into that conversation quickly in preseason, and the early returns have suggested he can offer more than just another shooting threat. In three games, he has averaged 12.3 points while also showing he can help organize the offense some, handing out 10 assists against 3 turnovers.
Kennards appeal to the Suns goes beyond whether he can chase Allens old role one for one. The shooting profile is different, the volume is different and the style is different, but Phoenix has already seen enough to know he can add layers to the wing group instead of simply blending into it. For a team looking for dependable spacing and a little extra creation, that makes the rest of his preseason worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Khaman Maluach Is Giving The Suns A Real Frontcourt Decision
Khaman Maluachs preseason has given the Suns something they did not necessarily expect this soon: a real conversation in the middle of the frontcourt. With Mark Williams sidelined for several months, the rookie center has stepped into a far bigger role than planned, and his recent work has done more than just keep the spot warm. A 10-point, 15-rebound outing against the Spurs only added to the sense that Phoenix has found a young big man who can handle real minutes right away.
Jordan Ott and Dillon Brooks have both praised Maluachs performance and progress, and that matters in a camp where opportunity is open but trust still has to be earned. The question now is not whether the Suns like what they have seen, but how far they are willing to go with it when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Green Is Taking On A Suns Role They Desperately Need
Jalen Green has quickly settled into a role the Suns have been looking to sharpen, handling the ball and setting up offense during preseason while still giving Devin Booker another dangerous creator to share the floor with. The appeal is obvious for Phoenix: Green is still a scorer at heart, but his comfort initiating plays gives the team another way to attack and a better chance to generate cleaner looks for everyone else.
What makes this especially useful for the Suns is the flexibility it gives their lineups. Green can function as a floor general when the situation calls for it, then slide back into a scoring role when the offense needs a burst, which is the kind of versatility Phoenix has been trying to build around Booker. The real test will be how often that dual role translates once the games count and the rotations get tighter. [Read more 🡒]