Reinforcing a roster always brings high expectations, and this time those were met for the Los Angeles Lakers and their new guard, Luke Kennard, who brought them luck and plenty of professionalism, along with grit, strength, and flawless execution to secure a 105-99 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
This past Saturday, February 7, 2026, the Lakers and their head coach, JJ Redick, gave minutes to their new acquisition, who arrived from the Atlanta Hawks and left a very positive impression on the Los Angeles lineup.
A strong mentality for Luke Kennard
With the win in hand, Kennard was thrilled with his performance and the support he provided the team during his time on the court. After securing the victory, the guard explained what helped him deliver his best for his new franchise.
I was definitely hunting a shot, trying to get one up. I shot the ball, I looked at my first shot, it was crazy high. But it felt good when it left my hands.”…”And again, for me, no matter where I’m at, obviously I’m here, they want me to be aggressive and shoot the ball. But whenever I check in the game, I’m looking for threes and to get them up.
Kennard said.
The new Laker finished his first game wearing purple and gold with
- 10 points
- 2 rebounds,
- 2 steals,
- 1 more steal
- In just over 26 minutes on the court
From the field, he converted four of seven attempts and two of four from beyond the three-point line. To round out his debut with the Los Angeles franchise, he was present in the final quarter that helped close out the victory.
JJ Redick is satisfied with Kennard’s performance
It appears that Kennard’s arrival in Los Angeles will provide defensive stability, something that was vital if they want to maintain aspirations of reaching the NBA Finals. With that in mind, the head coach made it clear how pleased he felt with his new player on the floor.
Just his ability to make reads and make plays, he’s not a guy you’re going to give the ball to in ISO and then he’s gonna bend the defense. But he’s a smart basketball player and he knows how to play and he knows how to make reads.”…”He doesn’t always get the assist, but generally speaking, he’s going to attack a closeout. He’s gonna get a shot fake and then swing the ball and that leads to something good. So I thought he was, for his first time with us and getting here yesterday, was really good.
Redick said after the game.
Kennard’s numbers before heading to the West Coast
During his time in Atlanta with the Hawks, Luke Kennard posted respectable numbers game after game.
- A little over 20 minutes per game
- 7.9 points per game
- 2.2 rebounds
- 2.1 assists
- 53.8 field goal percentage
- 49.7% from three-point range, leading the league
- 91.4% from the free-throw line
