When his offensive output didn’t outweigh his defensive deficits, some sources wondered if Kennard would be traded during this season.
Kennard, 29, a Franklin High School and Duke University product, was benched by Coach Quin Snyder on Dec. 26 against the Miami Heat after a string of poor performances.
He played five minutes against the New York Knicks on Dec. 27.
Then he had one of his best games of the season against the Oklahoma City Thunder’s first-ranked defense, scoring 12 points, hitting 3 of 6 from beyond the arc, with five assists and four rebounds.
That performance began a stretch of three straight productive games when he averaged 13 points, 4 assists, and 4.3 rebounds.
Kennard ranks third all-time in the NBA with a career 43.8% efficiency mark from deep.
After the Hawks blew out the Minnesota Timberwolves on New Year’s Eve, Kennard told the Atlanta media: “I’ve had some good moments, good games, but nowhere near what I can be and what I expect of myself. They’ve been on me, my teammates and coaches, just to be aggressive and shoot the ball when I can.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
He has been sidelined the last two games with a back injury, according to the Hawks.
Kennard was signed in the offseason to replace sharpshooting fan favorite, Bogdan Bogdanovic.
In 32 games, Kennard is averaging 7.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 20.3 minutes per game.
Kennard, who played two seasons at Duke, was the 12th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He has played for the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies.
At Franklin, Kennard was named the Parade National Player of the Year as a senior and the Ohio Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year as a junior and senior.
Franklin has retired his No. 10 jersey and named the school’s basketball court after him.
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