Hawks guard Luke Kennard’s reputation as a shooter impressing teammates

NBA training camps breed competition.

“It’s fun,” Hawks guard Luke Kennard said. “We go all practice, competing against each other and playing hard, being physical, having a little fun at the end of practice, in the day. It’s always a good time.”

Through the first five days of camp, Kennard seems to be the consensus winner of the contest between him and guards Vit Krejci, Keaton Wallace and Trae Young.

The four players cycle through spots beginning in the corners and then making their way around the 3-point arc.

“It’s fun,” Krejci said. “You want to compete against the best, and, you know, Luke is the best around here, so that’s the guy who you want to compete with. It’s been fun. It kind of motivates you a little bit more to try to beat him and to try to get better. And, like I said, it’s been good to have this time after practices and then work on our shot.”

With the addition of Kennard, along with Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kristaps Porzingis, the Hawks have become a much better 3-point shooting team on paper.

The Hawks ranked 18th in the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage last season, making just 35.8% of their 3-pointers.

But Alexander-Walker, Kennard and Porzingis all shoot 38% or better from deep, with Kennard ranking third in NBA history in career 3-point field goal percentage behind Steve Kerr and Hubert Davis. He ranks first among active players.

Kennard and his father began working on his shot early in his life and by the end of middle school and beginning of high school, the 29-year-old got the sense that he was one of the better shooters on his team.

“Then travel ball AAU, I felt like I was one of the better shooters,” Kennard said. “So, definitely that middle school range, I felt that I had a special talent that could get me a long way.”