Believing in Kornet: Fans should have faith Kornet can do the job
Luke Kornet may have only played 85 total minutes in the regular season for the Boston Celtics, but with all of the injuries, and his high rating by the coaching staff, Kornet is going to be tasked with a much more significant role compared to what he was given in the previous campaign.
The former Vanderbilt product played a role in nine postseason contests during Boston’s run through the Eastern Conference, but at the end of the day, Kornet has never played consistent minutes at the NBA level. This is Kornet’s second go-around with the Celtics, who traded for him back in 2021 just before the trade deadline, and when Boston dealt the majority of its depth in the post, Kornet was the option Stevens turned to once again.
He started two games for Boston back in the 2020/21 campaign, averaging around 4.5 points per game, and a career-high 1.4 rejections. He may not be the quickest of defenders, but his length allows him to make up space and recover in the blink of an eye. Kornet has filled in cracks before on NBA rosters, starting in a total of 35 games in his career, including 18 with the New York Knicks during the 2018/19 season.
Even though some players can’t seem to translate their success from the G-League to the NBA, Kornet was one productive player with the Maine Celtics last season. Despite only playing in 11 contests, Kornet averaged nearly 15 points per game, 6.2 rebounds, and an astounding 4.7 assists, which jumps off the page more than anything on his stat sheet. Boston’s blowout win in Memphis last season provided prime examples of what Kornet can bring to this team that is lacking some size and length for a considerable portion of the season due to Robert Williams III’s injury. His teammates have come out and said how much of a comical person Kornet is off the court, and how hard he works during practices to prove himself each and every day.
This past week, Al Horford spoke on the status of Kornet returning to the fold in practice, stating, “Luke’s good…He didn’t go through everything with us, but we’re encouraged to see how he’s already on the floor with us. We thought it was going to be a little longer so we’re happy to have him back and running.”
Whether it was being a high pick-and-roll threat, finding the cracks of the defense with his passing and movement, or providing his team with a second chance on the offensive end, Kornet, otherwise known as “The Green Hornet” looks to have finally found an NBA home at the age of 27. He signed a new two-year contract to stay with the Boston Celtics, and on top of that, Stevens kept the faith in the big man on his roster when Williams III went down by not trying to find a solution outside the organization. Stevens even liked a post this past summer with a video of Kornet leaving his defender in the dust on the perimeter and finishing with a dunk on the other side of the basket.
Boston Celtics fans should have faith Luke Kornet can do the job at center
Boston Celtics fans may have to see it in a real NBA game consistently to truly fall in love with Kornet, but if a person as intelligent as Stevens believes in a player this much, there has to be a massive reason why. Blake Griffin was brought in following the injury to Kornet, and while he is going to provide a spark off the bench, the former No. 1 pick does not have a 7-foot-2 wingspan to complement his perimeter jumper. When it comes to playing time all around, it is going to be quite interesting to see how much Mazzulla turns to a small-ball lineup with the hole of Williams III, and a dynamic group of guards and wings that can play a plethora of positions.
It could very well be a matchup based on how much Kornet sees the floor, but as a quality ball screener, and rebounder, the Kentucky native will always have a role in the Boston rotation this season. In the beginning of training camp, Kornet was participating in most of the drills in the same lineup as Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown. The road at the professional-level has been a rollercoaster one for Kornet, but with faith finally being put in him by Boston, his greatest successes could be on the horizon.
He may not look like the most intimidating player on the court each night, but with the success the Boston Celtics had at double big, Kornet could thrive with his immense wingspan. Not many Boston fans have given Kornet a shot despite the fact that the entire organization believes in him, and whether he slots in as the starting center or not, this is an opportunity to not only win over a fanbase, but expand the Celtics’ depth even more when the injuries subside.