How to Guard Kennedy Chandler
Kennedy does most of his damage from at the rim (35% of his attempts) and is a below-the-arc scorer. The plan below is built from where he actually shoots this season.
Where Kennedy scores
Share of his 2025-26 field-goal attempts by zone, with how efficiently he finishes each. This is the map the game plan is built on.
The scouting report: how to defend Kennedy
Wall off the paint early
Kennedy takes 35% of his shots at the rim and finishes 64.6% there. Build the wall before he turns the corner and force the ball back out rather than meeting him at the cup.
Go under screens, sag into the paint
He is a lower-volume or below-average outside shooter (39.5% on 38 attempts). You can go under ball screens and sink into the paint to take away the drive and dare him to settle for the jumper.
Stunt and recover, do not fully help
He is a primary creator (6.7 assists a game), so overhelping just feeds his passing. Stunt at the ball and recover to your man rather than leaving a shooter to load up on the drive.
Get Kennedy's full matchup plan
The page above is the shot profile. HoopBrief turns it into a complete game plan, the exact coverage to run, on-ball positioning by spot, whistle tendencies, and the one counter to deny, in your own coaching lens.
Frequently asked questions
How do you guard Kennedy Chandler?
Wall off the paint early: Kennedy takes 35% of his shots at the rim and finishes 64.6% there. Build the wall before he turns the corner and force the ball back out rather than meeting him at the cup. Go under screens, sag into the paint: He is a lower-volume or below-average outside shooter (39.5% on 38 attempts). You can go under ball screens and sink into the paint to take away the drive and dare him to settle for the jumper. Stunt and recover, do not fully help: He is a primary creator (6.7 assists a game), so overhelping just feeds his passing. Stunt at the ball and recover to your man rat
What is Kennedy Chandler's biggest weakness on offense?
Relative to the rest of his shot diet, Kennedy is least efficient on his in the paint (floaters) attempts (29.3% on 41 shots this season). Steering him toward that shot, rather than the ones he makes at a high rate, is the statistical edge.
Is Kennedy Chandler a good three-point shooter?
Kennedy has taken 38 three-pointers this season and made 15 of them (39.5%). That share of his offense (27.7% of his attempts) is what decides whether you chase him over screens or sag under them.
How many points per game does Kennedy Chandler average?
Kennedy is averaging 15 points per game this season, along with 6.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds. Scoring volume is why he draws the defensive game plan on this page.
How to guard other players
Shot-profile and box-score figures reflect Kennedy Chandler's 2025-26 season. Defensive recommendations are generated from that shot distribution and are teaching guidance, not a guarantee of outcome.