Luke Kennard has been of the few bright spots for the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers have had an injury-riddled season with their two stars in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard being out for the majority of the year. One thing they did upgrade this past offseason was their depth with one of those decisions being keeping Kennard himself. His 44.8 percent from 3-point range has helped the Clippers perimeter shooting and it has also netted him a spot in this year’s 3-point shootout. 

Luke Kennard Favored in 3-Point Shootout | NBA All-Star Weekend 2022

Kennard’s Numbers This Year

Kennard is currently the betting favorite to win at +375 odds and for good reason. We already mentioned his three-point shooting percentage. However, there are other numbers that prove he is the favorite to win the contest for a reason. It is rare when a player has a higher 3-point shooting percentage than a field goal percentage. Kennard is also averaging a true shooting percentage of 61.6 percent and an effective field goal percentage of 59.6 percent. Also, he is shooting 44.2 percent from corner 3’s on the season. Why is this vital you ask? Remember, the corner shots during the 3-point shootout can make or break a player’s chances given the fact you are starting from one corner and ending at the other corner. Not to mention, it is the closest 3-point shot in basketball compared to anywhere else a player can attempt a 3-point shot.

As for those other attempts, Kennard can also be deadly from those ranges. From 16 feet 2-point field goals out to beyond the arc, he is striking it at a rate of 33.3 percent. A significant dip from his other totals, but remember, this 3-point contest is a different type of motion given the fact that players are grabbing the ball from a rack and facing no contests. Some players, this throws off, but others, it helps them thrive in an event like this. We will soon find out if Luke Kennard is able to adapt to this change.

His Competition

Winning this contest will be far from a cakewalk for Luke Kennard. His competition includes Trae Young, Desmond Bane, CJ McCollum, Zach LaVine, Patty Mills, Fred VanVleet, and Karl-Anthony Towns. All of whom are striking it at a rate above 38 percent shooting beyond the arc. The competition is fierce in this season’s 3-point shootout with 4 All-Stars in the mix. However,  Luke Kennard is favored to win the contest for good reason. With all of this in mind, we are going with Kennard winning with CJ McCollum finishing in second place.