Detroit Pistons shooting guard Luke Kennard says his confidence increased after the Milwaukee Bucks game planned for him in the 2019 playoffs.

After Game 3 of the Pistons' first round series against the Bucks, Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said the Bucks game planned for Kennard a little more.

Hearing Budenholzer say that gave Kennard the confidence and motivation he needed to head into this summer and become a better player for the Pistons, who got swept by the Bucks.

“Throughout the season, even last summer, I was frustrated with injuries,” Kennard told James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. “At the beginning of the season, I missed a lot of games. I dealt with a little bit of frustration just through that, but hearing that and knowing that, in my first playoff experience, that the other team is game planning for me, it gives me a little confidence.

“Obviously, the outcome of the playoffs isn’t what we wanted, but to end that way with some confidence going into the summer and really focusing on my game and getting better and stronger … I’m looking forward to next year, to hopefully be in that position again, but this time win a series and go on after that.”

Luke Kennard averaged 15.0 points in the four-game series against the Bucks while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and an incredible 60.0 percent from beyond the arc. It was a big step for Kennard, who put up just 9.7 points in the regular season in 63 games.

The Pistons can't wait to see what version of Kennard they get in 2019-20 after a successful playoff showing by the lefty.