In the third game of their six-game road trip, the Boston Celtics took a trip to the capitol of California. The new-look Sacramento Kings, highlighted by Zach LaVine, Jake LaRavia, and Jonas Valanciunas, came out swinging, punking the Celtics with steals, threes, and transition offense. But one guy—or, more aptly, one combination—kept Boston afloat.
Everyone knows how great Jayson Tatum is, but the one player that makes him even better isn’t someone most would think of. Luke Kornet. When Tatum and Kornet are on the floor together, the Celtics are at their best. That’s exactly what showed up in the first half of Celtics-Kings.
And Kornet made his case for one insane truth.
Luke Kornet is the second-best backup center in the NBA
Naz Reid is the best backup center in the NBA. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year has been incredible for the Minnesota Timberwolves for the past few seasons, and his elite blend of shooting, size, and guard skills make him one of the best impending free agents this summer.
But right behind him is Kornet. The Celtics big man is the second-best backup center in the NBA, and considering how little recognition he gets, that’s an insane truth to think about.
Looking at some of the other top backup centers around the league—Valanciunas, Day'Ron Sharpe, Isaiah Stewart, and more—what Kornet brings to the table impacts winning more than almost anyone.
The pick-and-roll he runs with Tatum is one of the best actions in the NBA. In fact, it’s the second-most efficient pick-and-roll combination behind only Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. And the plays that stem from that action are even more impressive.
Tatum can get to one-on-ones against bigs in space, step-back threes around the screen, and when the defense starts to read things, he can just step back and hit a three. And it’s all because of how great Kornet is at screening.
Boston spammed this action in the first half against the Kings, and it worked beautifully.
And on top of that, Kornet’s offensive rebounding, rim protection, and off-ball movement are all extremely underrated. He impacts the game at an unbelievable level on both ends of the floor, yet barely gets any shine.
In Sacramento on Monday night, Kornet proved that he’s one of the best backup bigs in the NBA, and it’s all because of how much he impacts winning.
Outside of Reid, there are no other backup bigs in the NBA who hold up against Kornet. And that’s not a knock on other bigs. It’s a testament to how incredible Kornet has been this season.