New York Knicks: 5 Reasons To Select Luke Kennard In 2017 NBA Draft

5. Basketball IQ

It may be cliche for a white player from Duke to be heralded as a high-IQ guard, but it fits Luke Kennard. He’s a cerebral player who always seems to be thinking a step ahead of both his defender and, on occasion, his teammates.

The New York Knicks need players who can both play within the scheme and go outside of it, and Kennard checks both boxes.

Offensively, Kennard is comfortable within his own skin and forces shots less than the average player his age. He rarely turns the ball over, understands the importance of getting to his spots, and is more concerned with the team scoring than his statistics.

Those traits may be present in the average fan’s NBA prototype, but they’re far more elusive amongst young players than they should be.

Defensively, no one will call Kennard a lockdown player, but he can be effective when he buys in. He has ideal size for a shooting guard at just under 6’6″ and does a solid job of staying with his man in off-ball situations—when he’s focused.

If Kennard is willing to buy in on a more consistent basis on defense, then he can be an impact two-way player at the next level off of his basketball IQ alone.