Luka Doncic Has High Confidence In Luke Kennard

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic got some extra rest as he was ruled out with a hamstring injury before the All-Star break.

Doncic was fortunately able to play in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game and said his hamstring felt good after the game. With Doncic able to get through the All-Star game in one piece, he’s on track to play Friday against the L.A. Clippers, a crucial game as the Lakers look to kick off the second half of the season on a high note.

Los Angeles was relatively quiet at the trade deadline, with their lone move being acquiring Luke Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Gabe Vincent. Kennard quickly became a trusted member of head coach JJ Redick’s rotation as he’s a legitimate sniper from beyond the arc that can space the floor for Doncic.

Doncic hasn’t played in a game with Kennard yet, but already thinks every shot his new teammate takes goes in.

“I think he’s been great,” Doncic said of Kennard. “In practice today, he’s been great just finding himself. He only played, what, four games with us? So obviously he’s not gonna fit in right, right away. Obviously he needs some time, but like during practice once he shoots a 3, I always think it goes in, so it’s kind of great to see that.”

The Lakers desperately needed more 3-point shooting as defenses are happy to load up on Doncic and ignore the rest of the rotation, so Kennard brings a valuable skill to the team. When Doncic and Kennard share the floor, defenses will have no choice but to stick on the latter which should in turn open up more passing lanes for the former.

While Kennard should be an integral part of the offense moving forward, Los Angeles still needs to improve in certain areas defensively to be taken more seriously as contenders. Offensively, Doncic should be able to keep the Lakers near the top of most metrics but how they perform defensively will ultimately determine how far they go this year.

Jeanie Buss discusses Lakers building around Luka Doncic

Luka Doncic is the perfect superstar to lead the Lakers franchise into their next era as he’s already an established MVP candidate with a global presence. Doncic hasn’t been in L.A. long, but is already beloved by everyone in the organization and its fan base.

Jeanie Buss discussed building Doncic, expressing how proud they are that he’s a Laker and someone that fans will come to see.