Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes said he is enjoying seeing Luke Kennard flourish in Los Angeles, noting that he has followed the guard’s career since both were growing up in Ohio.
Speaking after Monday’s practice, Hayes, 24, explained that he first saw Kennard dominate at Franklin High School, where the future NBA shooter routinely posted 40- and 50-point games. “My roommate Justin grew up working out with Luke, and I’ve known both of them for years,” Hayes said. “It was fun times watching him drop 40, 50 a game in high school.”
Kennard, acquired by the Lakers at the trade deadline, is three years older than Hayes. The eighth-year guard has quickly become the club’s top perimeter threat and a reliable secondary ball-handler behind LeBron James.
Hayes added that Kennard’s all-around game has been evident since his lone season at Duke, where the guard averaged about 20 points per contest. “He was just a shooter his first three years (in the NBA), and you’ve seen him develop over the years and be the best shooter in the league,” Hayes said. “I watched him go for 50 and like 10 and 10 (in high school). Getting to watch him do it in the NBA is awesome.”
Kennard’s skill set was on full display in Game 1 of the first-round series against the Houston Rockets, where he scored a game-high 27 points and hit all five of his three-point attempts. With the Lakers navigating the postseason without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, Kennard’s versatility has become increasingly important as Los Angeles prepares for Game 2.
According to center Deandre Ayton, Kennard’s Game 1 performance left teammates “speechless.”
Source: LakersNation.com
