Boston Celtics training camp has officially opened, and interim head coach Joe Mazzulla has his first round of roster decisions to make for the 2022-23 season — which could be his first and last as a head coach or the springboard to a career in coaching.
That will be determined by how the team comes together on the court, and perhaps more importantly, how the Cs rally back from having Ime Udoka suspended for the next 12 months following a trip to the NBA Finals during his first year in Boston.
Mazzulla is dealing with issues off the bat regarding his depth chart due to necessary surgery on Robert Williams III’s left knee meant to “remove loose bodies and address swelling in his left knee.” This follows a March 30 partial left knee meniscectomy after ‘The Timelord’ suffered a torn meniscus. While Williams returned during the 2022 NBA Finals postseason run, he still suffered from recurring soreness and swelling in his left knee throughout the playoffs.
In order to address the loss of Boston’s starting pivot and a key member of a first five that was 12 points/100 possessions better than the second-best team–and the best defensive rating, while also ranking third in offensive rating per NBC Sports Boston’s Max Lederman, Mazzulla is resorting to inserting a surprising member of the Boston Celtics into the first group on the first day of training camp:
It's only day 1, but Luke Kornet is in with the starting group pic.twitter.com/kmZWT2So7i
— John Karalis 🇬🇷🇺🇦 (@John_Karalis) September 27, 2022
Luke Kornet could be a breakout candidate on the Boston Celtics
Luke Kornet is entering his third season as a member of the Boston Celtics, and President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has the utmost faith in him despite his unsung status as a minimum contract player.
It’s not all that surprising to see Joe Mazzulla keeping the double-big lineup in place, possibly signaling Malcolm Brogdon playing at the 2 off the bench along with Payton Pritchard in the backcourt and Derrick White sliding to the 3.
Kornet provides rim-protection with his 9-foot-6 standing reach and 7-foot-1 frame, so he maintains that element of the Celtics offense. He’s not a high-flying rim-runner like Robert Williams, but he is a veteran pivot who has the ability to stretch the floor, making the Cs lineup even deadlier if his shot can return to his New York Knicks levels of efficiency.