Luke Kennard gave the Suns exactly what they were looking for Saturday night: shot-making, movement, and a reminder of how dangerous he can be when Phoenix lets him cook.
With Devin Booker resting, Kennard moved into the starting lineup and delivered a game-high 20 points in Phoenix’s 102-98 preseason win over the San Antonio Spurs. He did it in 25 minutes, hitting 8 of 15 shots overall and 4 of 10 from deep while adding five rebounds and four assists. It was the Suns’ first preseason victory.
“On nights like this, you just let him go. He has so much experience on different defenses,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said of Kennard postgame.
“Some nights with the big back like that, he was able to kind of move around. And then we have Oso (Ighodaro) who's really good at playing with those types of movers.
And (Khaman Maluach) taking a step.
“(Kennard's) shown playmaking before in his career. Definitely last year at the end of last season, kind of sticks out in everyone's mind.
But he's a really good basketball player. We're lucky to have him.”
The performance fit neatly with why Phoenix targeted him in the first place. Kennard signed a two-year, $12.43 million deal this offseason after leading the league in 3-point percentage last season, and he had already said the Suns pushed him to let it fly more right away. Phoenix entered the summer needing shooting after trading away Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale, and Saturday offered a clean example of what that spacing can look like when Kennard is aggressive.
“I really believe that this is a great fit for me and who I am as a player and the way that I play,” Kennard said. “There's a lot of just freedom of movement out there, and those connections are huge when it comes to that. Just knowing the type of spots that you're going to be in, shots that you want to take.
“I've played with a couple of these guys, like (Jordan Goodwin), I played with him. I played with (Dillon Brooks) before back in Memphis.
I know some guys. I've asked a lot of questions about the group, getting close with some guys.
It's been a lot of fun, and like I said, I think the fit is really good.”
Dillon Brooks, who shared the floor with Kennard in Memphis late in the 2022-23 season, sounded just as convinced. He called Kennard “plug and play” and pointed to more than just the jumper, praising his ability to score in the mid-range, handle the ball, and hold his own defensively.
“I love Luke. You can plug and play him anywhere.
Got a tremendous shot. He knows how to play the game.
It's not only the 3-pointer, as you can see, but he can create for himself in the mid-range. He's got a great handle,” Brooks said of Kennard (via ClutchPoints' Hayden Ciley).
“He's gonna be another scorer for us coming off the bench, and he guards. He stays in front.
It's a perfect pickup for us. Like I said in the offseason, I can't wait for Phoenix to see what type of games he's gonna have.
He's gonna have some tremendous games.”
Kennard’s night was enough to prompt Brooks to crash his postgame interview and shout, “PHOENIX GONNA LOVE SOME LUKE KENNARD!”
The Suns and Spurs meet again Wednesday night in San Antonio for another preseason game.
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 🡒]
Luke Kennard Is Giving The Suns A Reason To Believe In This Fit
Luke Kennard has given the Suns something to feel good about in the preseason, and that matters for a team trying to sort out its rotation before the games count. With Devin Booker out of the lineup, Kennard has stepped into a starting role and shown why Phoenix wanted him in the mix, bringing the kind of shooting and secondary creation that can fit next to the Suns core.
The larger expectation, though, is that Kennards value will come when he shifts back to the bench and settles into a reserve role. Phoenix is counting on him to stretch the floor and handle a little playmaking in those second-unit minutes, and his early comfort level has made that plan look more promising than it might have seemed on paper. The real test comes once the rotation tightens and the regular season begins. [Read more 🡒]