Luke Kornet (Appreciation) Thread - Signs with Spurs 6/30/25

[Fencer reregistered]

Copying a post I made on the GB:

Now Porzingis is doing it too, evidently.

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/kristaps-porzingis-has-adopted-luke-kornets-unique-defensive-tactic

Read on Twitter

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

In that video, the twist was that the opponent drove past Porzingis' contest -- which was further from the rim than Kornet's usually are -- whereupon Porzingis recovered in time to block the drive at the rim with a second jump. That would probably have been harder for him after a traditional closeout.

Fixed the transitional/traditional typo.

[24istheLAW]

Copying a post I made on the GB:

Now Porzingis is doing it too, evidently.

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/kristaps-porzingis-has-adopted-luke-kornets-unique-defensive-tactic

Read on Twitter

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

In that video, the twist was that the opponent drove past Porzingis' contest -- which was further from the rim than Kornet's usually are -- whereupon Porzingis recovered in time to block the drive at the rim with a second jump. That would probably have been harder for him after a transitional closeout.

Thanks for sharing. This is actually really interesting.

Up until now, the Kornet Kontest has been a curiosity. Maybe it’s working for Luke. But I hadn’t thought about the possibility that it could be implemented by others to greater effect. If it can sustainably make shooters worse, it could potentially let athletic bigs simultaneously contest 3s to some degree while also locking down the paint…

And if it works to some degree? Perhaps defenders could use it as a changeup. If you have two ways to contest a shot, an offensive player can get caught pump-faking to drive the close out. Or doesn’t know exactly how much time and space they have. Perhaps mixing this contest in as a change of pace works less because it decreases the odds of nailing the jumper, and more because it could result in some blocks like the above one when perimeter players reflexively aim to drive close outs that would otherwise produce uncontested layups...

[Scoonie]

If the data shows that it's working, than you're going to see more and more teams adopt it.

The the slight modification that KP employs above gives it more flexibility and ability for the defender to quickly recover. You could see quite a few variations employed by different teams.

[zoyathedestroya]

Must-watch. David Letterman probably glad he’s retired from late night TV before Luke came after his throne.

Watch on YouTube

[Hal14]

This is hilarious. Luke should seriously do comedy when he retires from playing basketball.

Read on Twitter

[zoyathedestroya]

Read on Twitter

[cl2117]

Am I the only one that's not a believer in the Green Kornet?

I'm kind of surprised how under discussed his role has been given that he's poised to end up eating a LOT of minutes this regular season and could end up being our emergency parachute if something goes wrong with Horford/KP.

I've got nothing against him but I still just don't see how he's fit for purpose for his role. What's one step below "jack of all trades, master of none"? That's what Kornet strikes me as. He seems firmly on the verge of "fine" and "garbage". He can be in the right places and do the right things but I still think he gets his lunch taken by most average NBA players. I guess there is something to be said for the continuity of having a guy who is able to be a stand-in offensively/defensively and not get in the way, but given our depth we need more than that.

Would love to see him prove me wrong, the staff clearly have faith in him which is a positive sign, but I'm certainly not comfortable with him being our 3rd center on a team where that role is more valuable than on most rosters.

[darrendaye]

Am I the only one that's not a believer in the Green Kornet?

I'm kind of surprised how under discussed his role has been given that he's poised to end up eating a LOT of minutes this regular season and could end up being our emergency parachute if something goes wrong with Horford/KP.

I've got nothing against him but I still just don't see how he's fit for purpose for his role. What's one step below "jack of all trades, master of none"? That's what Kornet strikes me as. He seems firmly on the verge of "fine" and "garbage". He can be in the right places and do the right things but I still think he gets his lunch taken by most average NBA players. I guess there is something to be said for the continuity of having a guy who is able to be a stand-in offensively/defensively and not get in the way, but given our depth we need more than that.

Would love to see him prove me wrong, the staff clearly have faith in him which is a positive sign, but I'm certainly not comfortable with him being our 3rd center on a team where that role is more valuable than on most rosters.

I've been critical of Stevens' handling of the reserves in relation to PF/C. I am estimating KP getting 30MPG and Al 24MPG. The double big design to start game and 2nd half and stretches 4-5 minutes before going with single big. If that comes to pass, that's covering the center spot for all but 4 minutes or so. But there will be games missed and I share your concern Kornet is their answer. I'm hoping they either sign Gabriel to a deal or bring a similar physical profile in: long, strong rebounding, 4/5 capable of defending on perimeter.

[snowman]

Am I the only one that's not a believer in the Green Kornet?

I'm kind of surprised how under discussed his role has been given that he's poised to end up eating a LOT of minutes this regular season and could end up being our emergency parachute if something goes wrong with Horford/KP.

I've got nothing against him but I still just don't see how he's fit for purpose for his role. What's one step below "jack of all trades, master of none"? That's what Kornet strikes me as. He seems firmly on the verge of "fine" and "garbage". He can be in the right places and do the right things but I still think he gets his lunch taken by most average NBA players. I guess there is something to be said for the continuity of having a guy who is able to be a stand-in offensively/defensively and not get in the way, but given our depth we need more than that.

Would love to see him prove me wrong, the staff clearly have faith in him which is a positive sign, but I'm certainly not comfortable with him being our 3rd center on a team where that role is more valuable than on most rosters.

I've been critical of Stevens' handling of the reserves in relation to PF/C. I am estimating KP getting 30MPG and Al 24MPG. The double big design to start game and 2nd half and stretches 4-5 minutes before going with single big. If that comes to pass, that's covering the center spot for all but 4 minutes or so. But there will be games missed and I share your concern Kornet is their answer. I'm hoping they either sign Gabriel to a deal or bring a similar physical profile in: long, strong rebounding, 4/5 capable of defending on perimeter.

I hear that Kornet is a funny guy and great locker room presence, but that doesn't win you games when one of your big men is out. He has stone hands and is the worse rebounding 7'0+ footer in the NBA. At least Queta, although very raw, is mobile enough to go after rebounds. Kornet stands and watches the ball bounce off his hands into the other team's hands.

[playa-hater]

double posting this here.

I don't think it's Ability for Kornet but familiarity. Knowing the plays and/or ball movement with the others and where the others may want the ball etc. He is a veteran compared to Queta and WG..But at some point coaches need to realize his limitations. Of all the things that bother me is when Kornet is near the rim on defense and he can't even get off his feet fast enough to attempt a blocked shot. that and he doesn't seem to rebound well for someone who has good size.

[zoyathedestroya]

Read on Twitter

[Hal14]

Am I the only one that's not a believer in the Green Kornet?

I'm kind of surprised how under discussed his role has been given that he's poised to end up eating a LOT of minutes this regular season and could end up being our emergency parachute if something goes wrong with Horford/KP.

He was the 3rd big last season behind Horford/Rob and he did an adequate job.

Kornet rated pretty well in most advanced stats. He had one of the highest blocks % in the league. Had a really high amount of dunks. And with him as our 3rd big (and Rob out half the season) we still had the #1 net rating in the league last year.

I mean, if Queta or Gabriel plays so well that they take his spot, great. If not, we're fine.

[zoyathedestroya]

Celtics went 9-4 when both Horford and Timelord were unavailable with Kornet playing. All losses came on the road -- GSW, LAC, CLE, UTA. For most of these games, we relied on Griffin and Vonleh to play heavy minutes. Both are out of the league currently.

Last season, in the 1,140 non-garbage time possessions with Luke as the lone big (no Horford, Timelord, Griffin, Vonleh, Muscala), Celtics outscored their opponents by 4.2 per 100 possessions. That's much better than you can expect from a 3rd big.

[Floody23]

I mean isn’t it saying something when we had the corpse of Blake Griffin starting over him when Rob & Al we’re both out last season ?

[zoyathedestroya]

I mean isn’t it saying something when we had the corpse of Blake Griffin starting over him when Rob & Al we’re both out last season ?

It does. It says he's a bench player. And no better than that. He won't win you games but he doesn't hurt you either for most games you bring him in.

[theman]

Is this an appreciation tread? Was he traded?

[cl2117]

Am I the only one that's not a believer in the Green Kornet?

I'm kind of surprised how under discussed his role has been given that he's poised to end up eating a LOT of minutes this regular season and could end up being our emergency parachute if something goes wrong with Horford/KP.

He was the 3rd big last season behind Horford/Rob and he did an adequate job.

Kornet rated pretty well in most advanced stats. He had one of the highest blocks % in the league. Had a really high amount of dunks. And with him as our 3rd big (and Rob out half the season) we still had the #1 net rating in the league last year.

I mean, if Queta or Gabriel plays so well that they take his spot, great. If not, we're fine.

Blake was an option last year and to a lesser extent Grant as a small-ball option. If we were in a pinch I think Blake would have been ahead of Luke in the pecking order and even then I would have been uncomfortable with that situation (and that's with Blake outperforming all of my expectations for him by a decent margin). With those guys gone and Queta/Gabriel being brand new question marks, I think that role takes on a lot more significance this year.

I'm not one to normally ignore advanced stats, but the eye test told me that Kornet isn't good enough. At his absolute best his play would be described as "fine". With KP's injury history and Horford's age, that's our weakest link on this roster.

And to be fair, sometimes you've got to roll the dice when building teams, you can't have every eventuality covered. But with avenues to make some moves this is the area that is screaming for attention, at least in my opinion.

[snowman]

Am I the only one that's not a believer in the Green Kornet?

I'm kind of surprised how under discussed his role has been given that he's poised to end up eating a LOT of minutes this regular season and could end up being our emergency parachute if something goes wrong with Horford/KP.

He was the 3rd big last season behind Horford/Rob and he did an adequate job.

Kornet rated pretty well in most advanced stats. He had one of the highest blocks % in the league. Had a really high amount of dunks. And with him as our 3rd big (and Rob out half the season) we still had the #1 net rating in the league last year.

I mean, if Queta or Gabriel plays so well that they take his spot, great. If not, we're fine.

Blake was an option last year and to a lesser extent Grant as a small-ball option. If we were in a pinch I think Blake would have been ahead of Luke in the pecking order and even then I would have been uncomfortable with that situation (and that's with Blake outperforming all of my expectations for him by a decent margin). With those guys gone and Queta/Gabriel being brand new question marks, I think that role takes on a lot more significance this year.

I'm not one to normally ignore advanced stats, but the eye test told me that Kornet isn't good enough. At his absolute best his play would be described as "fine". With KP's injury history and Horford's age, that's our weakest link on this roster.

And to be fair, sometimes you've got to roll the dice when building teams, you can't have every eventuality covered. But with avenues to make some moves this is the area that is screaming for attention, at least in my opinion.

We already have the 3rd team back up 5. His name is Queta. Kornet is passable, but Queta can actually move on defense.

[Hal14]

I mean isn’t it saying something when we had the corpse of Blake Griffin starting over him when Rob & Al we’re both out last season ?

No, it doesn't say anything. Some of the games Blake started, Luke wasn't available (due to injury or was sick or having a baby or something). Other times Blake started by Luke ended up playing more mins than him that game.

Overall on the season, Luke played 804 minutes, and Blake played 569.

[zoyathedestroya]

There's always room for "I wish we had player X instead of player Y." There's no perfect roster. You don't even know if the player you have in mind has issues outside of the court or won't work out on the court. But the Nuggets just won the title with their non-Jokic bigs playing 14 total minutes in the playoffs (about 800 minutes in the regular season). The other finalist had Bam, unplayable Zeller, and the corpse of Love. Celtics have two starter-calibre bigs that can cover the minutes Jokic did barring major injury to either/both and a cadre of bigs (Queta, Gabriel, Kornet) as innings eaters.

Part of me wishes Stevens upgrades that 3rd big spot though so we don't have another scapegoat if we don't win the Finals instead of looking at the main reason why we haven't won yet.