LOS ANGELES — Before he’d even played an official minute in a Clippers uniform, the team signed fourth-year guard Luke Kennard to a four-year, $64 million contract extension on Dec. 21 (of which $56 million is guaranteed and another $8 million is incentivized).
By mid-February, Kennard found himself having a conversation with Clippers Coach Tyronn Lue about platooning with Terance Mann, the multi-positional second-year player.
“It can go back and forth,” Lue said Sunday, via Zoom video conference, before the Clippers tipped off against the Brooklyn Nets. “I had a good conversation with both those guys, and it’s gonna be on a night-to-night basis, just who we’re playing.”
Lue said he’d gauge playing time according to what the Clippers needed more of: defense and energy (Mann) or shot-making and play-making (Kennard).
“Both of those guys understand that you can’t play 11-12 guys in this league,” Lue said, “so just gotta stay ready.”
Lue had a similar conversation earlier this season with Reggie Jackson, the 10th-year guard who got the stay-ready talk from his coach 10 games into the schedule.
“Reggie has been playing good for us,” Lue said then. “He has had some good stretches. I had to talk to him (Saturday) night just about staying ready and just trying to stagger Lou (Williams) and Luke as much as possible so we can always have four defenders on the floor at the same time.”
At the time, Lue said he appreciated Jackson’s professionalism when he received the news, after which he didn’t play at all for two consecutive games — before being called on to start the game after those. On Jan. 15, he filled in because both Williams and Patrick Beverley were sidelined with injury and, as Jackson promised Lue he would be, he was ready, helping lift the Clippers to a victory with 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting.
Jackson’s minutes remained in flux the next three games, between 0 and 14 minutes, before he started 13 consecutive contests. He did his part to keep the Clippers afloat in that stretch, averaging 11.1 points and 4.6 assists and just 1.2 turnovers per game as L.A. went 8-5.
This time, it’s Kennard — who is averaging 8.0 points and shooting 46.3% from the field and 44.2% from 3-point range through his first 29 games as a Clipper — who’ll be the odd man out.
Kennard’s minutes and production have fluctuated. On Jan. 5, he shot 5 for 9, and 3 for 5 from deep, for 13 points in 26 minutes against Boston.
Two days before that, he went 0 for 2 and played just 4:15 in the Clippers’ first game against Brooklyn, the team for which former Clipper Landry Shamet — traded to the Nets in the deal that brought Kennard to L.A. — plays. Shamet has warmed up after playing no minutes in four of five games in late-January; in the Nets’ five-game winning streak entering Sunday, he was averaging 10.4 points and shooting 45%.
In the Clippers’ camp, Kennard was a late scratch with a sore right knee when they faced Utah on Wednesday, but he was cleared to play against the Jazz on Friday — though Lue never invited him to dance.
Lue said Kennard, too, was understanding.
“Just saying, ‘Anything you need from me coach, I’ll be ready,’” Lue said. “And you know he understood that Terance Mann and Reggie have done a great job when guys have been out, and Luke did a good job as well, but you know, right now, with him and Terance, it will be a game-to-game decision on what we need on the floor, and then we’ll go from there.”
Ty Lue says it’s “game by game” whether Terance Mann or Luke Kennard will get minutes. Says those guys understand you can’t play 11, 12 players in the NBA.
— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) February 21, 2021
“I felt like I found a real home here with the Clippers and with this organization. Everybody’s been really welcoming… I’m really excited to be here for some years to come and hopefully being a championship here.”
Luke Kennard on signing extension with Clippers. pic.twitter.com/kXlibVzZC0
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) December 24, 2020
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