Report: Luke Kennard Shoulder Injury Diagnosed as Sprain; Out at Least 2 Weeks

Detroit Pistons guard Luke Kennard left Thursday night's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers after he suffered a right shoulder sprain, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Athletic's Shams Charania reported on Friday that "Kennard has suffered an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder and will be re-evaluated again in two weeks."

After getting through his rookie season in good shape, Kennard hasn't had an easy second year. The 22-year-old's time in the 2018 NBA Summer League was cut short after he suffered a left knee strain. Now, he is hobbled once again.

The 2017 No. 12 pick is coming off a solid campaign. He averaged 7.6 points per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the floor and 41.5 percent from beyond the arc.

He is averaging 4.5 points and shooting 50 percent from the field. He's also garnered 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game this season.

New coach Dwane Casey wanted to maximize Kennard's talents, asserting during the summer that he wanted to give the second-year player a look at the point. And Kennard looked forward to playing for Casey.

"We have set plays, but most of the time he just wants us to run and play to our strengths," Kennard said in September, per Keith Langlois of NBA.com. "He wants us to play off the dribble and just move the ball, play smooth. I love that kind of feel and that kind of offense. I really do. ... One hundred percent. It's a thing where the floor is really spaced out."

While the knee injury put the experiment on hold, the 6'5", 206-pound guard told Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press in July he was "comfortable" with the assignment, as he had run the point in high school.

Detroit is looking to build around Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson. While each of those players brings something to the table, not one of them is a prolific shooter. That's what makes Kennard so valuable.

He spaces the floor and provides perimeter shooting. While he served as a reserve for much of his rookie season, he wasted no time in showing that his game translates to the NBA and that he can knock down shots from deep.

Should Kennard miss time, both Jackson and Reggie Bullock will be expected to carry the backcourt. Bullock (44.5 percent from three-point range in 2017-18), in particular, will face more pressure to provide a deep threat after the Pistons lost their second-leading three-point shooter (Anthony Tolliver) from a season ago in free agency.