Watch this man: Luke Kennard is making things happen for Detroit

No one is paying attention to the Detroit Pistons this season. They’re missing out on Luke Kennard taking the leap and making things happen.

Injuries to key star players around the league have taken away much of the buzz to start this NBA season. Without players like Stephen Curry and Zion Williamson to draw attention, a lot of coverage has been focused on a few key big market teams.

The Detroit Pistons are not in the upper tier of NBA teams and do not play in a large market. As a result, they have received very little nationwide media attention through the first quarter of the season. It would be no surprise if you hadn’t heard about the improved season that Pistons third-year guard Luke Kennard has been having.

It’s time to start paying attention.

In his first two years with the Pistons, Kennard played in a similar role to his two years at Duke. But injuries to many of Detroit’s primary ball-handlers have put the ball in his hands more than ever. He’s taken impressive steps forward in key areas of the game as a result.

Kennard has always had a great touch from outside, it’s why he was pointed to as one of the best guards in his draft class. As a result of his increased role in the offense, we’ve seen Kennard increase the number of pull-up shots he’s been taking. He’s gradually made pull-up shots a greater part of his game, they made up 34.8 percent of his field goals as a rookie and 44.9 percent this season.

His ability as a catch-and-shoot threat still forces defenders to close out hard in order to prevent him from getting a clean look off. This year we’ve seen him put the ball on the floor and attack the closeout for a cleaner look closer to the basket. The result has been better looks and a higher shooting percentage around the rim. He’s finding the bottom of the basket on 73.5 of his looks within three feet of the basket, a career-high mark.

He’s still a lights-out 3-point shooter. He’s had a quicker trigger than in years past and hasn’t been shy about pulling up from behind the arc. Kennard is shooting 2.5 pull up 3s per game now, the most in his career. He’s deadly in catch-and-shoot situations as well, connecting on 42.9 percent of those looks.

Injuries to Reggie Jackson and Derrick Rose have pushed Kennard into a larger playmaking role, this has allowed him to showcase his improved passing ability. He assisting on 19.5 percent of his team’s field goals when on the floor and dishing out 4.3 assists per game, two more career-highs. He’s had some true eye-catching no-look passes.

Rose and Blake Griffin can take some of the playmaking responsibility off of Kennard’s plate if he ever looks out of his depth. But he’s handled it well so far and will likely have to continue to make that a larger part of his game. According to Rod Beard of The Detroit News, Jackson is making progress and will be evaluated later this week. Even if he’s on track to return it still could be a while before he’s back to playing heavy minutes.

Between Kennard, Rose, and Griffin the Pistons have players at a variety of positions who can initiate the offense. With Andre Drummond dominating the post and Svi Mykhailiuk heating up from outside, the Pistons have an interesting group of players that can help them chase another playoff appearance.

Despite difficulties all the injuries have created, Detroit is still within striking distance of the eighth seed. They’ve got the talent to make a push and are really only one or two key pieces away from making some noise in the weaker Eastern Conference. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them make a move to improve the team and contend for a higher playoff seed.

Kennard is turning himself into a solid all-around offensive threat in his third season in the league. If he is able to help lead the Pistons back to their second consecutive playoff appearance he should start receiving the recognition he deserves. Until then he will keep quietly improving and having one of the better seasons no one is talking about.