Luke Kennard didn’t come to Phoenix to fire up a few clean looks and disappear the first time the shots stop dropping. The Suns brought him in to stretch the floor harder than ever, and early signs say he can handle that load.
In Phoenix’s most recent preseason game, a win over the San Antonio Spurs, Kennard went 4-of-10 from beyond the arc. That followed a season in which he averaged just over three 3-point attempts per game while leading the league by shooting 47.8 percent from deep.
The numbers back up the appeal: when Kennard is rolling, he changes the shape of an offense. The challenge for the Suns is resisting the urge to flinch when the inevitable cold spells arrive.
That’s where this situation gets interesting. At previous stops, Kennard has sometimes ended up on the bench when opponents started targeting him. Phoenix believes it can handle that better than most teams because the roster around him is built to absorb some of that pressure.
Dillon Brooks is the defensive anchor. Miles Bridges has said he wants his best season on that end of the floor.
Jordan Goodwin gives the Suns another underrated defender, and he can share the court with Kennard in bench units. Khaman Maluach brings elite defensive upside, too.
All of that matters because Kennard does not need to be the stopper in the group; he just needs the support to keep doing what he does best.
Phoenix has already shown a willingness to cover for offense-first guards. The Suns were able to hide Jalen Green when he was available last season and still finish as a top-10 defensive team.
That is the model here. Kennard will have rough shooting nights.
The mistake would be yanking him out of the mix the moment that happens.
He has also flashed more as a secondary creator than he gets credit for, which gives him another path to value if the shot goes quiet. His career average of 2.3 assists per game leaves room for growth, and if that part of his game takes off, he starts to look like the clear sixth-man option in Phoenix.
The Suns are hoping for a clean bill of health, but that’s not how NBA seasons usually work. Miles Bridges has already tweaked an ankle, and that opened the door for Kennard to start against San Antonio. He finished behind only Green in minutes in that game, which had to be a welcome early confidence boost.
There are still moving parts in the backcourt as head coach Jordan Ott keeps sorting through combinations next to Devin Booker. Kennard can help in more ways than just bombing away from deep, but the Suns only get that version of him if they stay patient when the jumper cools off.
For a player brought in mainly to shoot, that patience is going to be tested.
In Other News...
Suns Good Vibes Will Face A Much Bigger Test Soon
The Celtics Joe Mazzulla recently put a sharp point on what every NBA team eventually faces: the season is as much about handling rough patches as it is about celebrating the smooth ones. For the Suns, that message lands at a useful moment. The group has enjoyed good vibes early, and Jordan Otts defense has given the roster a sturdy identity, but the real test usually comes when the schedule tightens, the losses pile up a little, and the room has to stay together.
Phoenix has enough depth to help absorb some of that pressure, with two-way players like Pat Spencer part of the mix, but the bigger question is how the key pieces hold up if the path gets bumpier. Miles Bridges, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams all carry their own importance to the rotation, which is why the Suns ability to stay connected through any roster strain could matter as much as any single game in the standings. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Suddenly Have A Miles Bridges Question Before Opening Night
A preseason ankle scare has put a small pause on what has otherwise been a straightforward ramp-up for Miles Bridges. The Suns said Bridges is recovering well after missing the previous game with a rolled ankle, and they will be careful with his workload in the remaining exhibitions as they try to get him to Opening Night in good shape.
Bridges arrives in Phoenix after being acquired from the Hornets this offseason, and he is expected to fill a key power forward role alongside Dillon Brooks. With the Suns already planning to manage their starters closely before the regular season begins, his status is worth watching less for what it says about October and more for how much live action he gets between now and then. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Get Another Suns Test That May Matter More Than The Score
The Suns are heading into their fourth preseason game against the Spurs with a very different look, as several key players are expected to sit out while Phoenix continues its ramp-up toward opening night. Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Miles Bridges, Dillon Brooks, Collin Gillespie and Oso Ighodaro are all expected to be out, with coach Jordan Ott saying the team planned to rest starters for one of the remaining preseason games.
For Phoenix, the score matters less here than the minutes and matchups the coaching staff can study behind it. The Suns are using this stretch to evaluate reserve players and sort out the rotation spots that still need to be settled before the regular season begins, which makes this San Antonio game more of a proving ground than a tune-up. [Read more 🡒]