The Los Angeles Lakers had Luke Kennard running point after injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and the move produced the kind of all-around line that showed why they wanted him before the deadline. Kennard finished with 15 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists and one steal in 41 minutes, but the Lakers still lost to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Lakers traded Gabe Vincent and a second-round draft pick for Kennard before the deadline, hoping to add another floor spacer next to Doncic. When Doncic and Reaves went down against the Thunder, head coach JJ Redick had to simplify the reads for Kennard and use him as the team's second ball-handler. Redick called it an encouraging sign, but said the Lakers still had to figure out who could handle that job.
That need matters now because both Doncic and Reaves were likely out for the first round of the playoffs, leaving the Lakers without a true point guard behind LeBron James. James did his part against Dallas, finishing with 30 points and 15 assists and missing a triple-double by one rebound, while the team came in having gone 15-2 in March and looking like one of the West's hottest groups before the injuries hit.
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The tension for Los Angeles is simple. Kennard's best night as a playmaker came in an emergency role, not as proof of a settled backcourt. He had reached double-digit assists in only one other game in his career, and the Lakers now have to decide whether his performance is a stopgap or the start of a larger answer while two stars remain uncertain for the postseason. Redick got one encouraging night from Kennard. The harder part is finding the next one.
