Celtics three goals: Luke Kornet must stay ready for a bigger role

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/celtics-three-goals-luke-kornet-143707875.html

Cameron Tabatabaie
Thu, September 28, 2023 at 10:37 AM EDT·4 min read

At first blush, the Boston Celtics have one of the deepest front courts in the entire NBA. Newcomer Kristaps Porzingis is set to join Robert Williams III and Al Horford in what could be the more imposing big man rotations Boston has had in quite some time.

That is, of course, pending good health. Porzingis spent the summer of 2023 dealing with a bout of plantar fasciitis, and the former All-Star has had numerous high-profile injuries in his career. Williams has also struggled with staying on the court. At age 37, Horford is expected to take things easy during the regular season. Boston’s dynamic frontcourt will need support beyond its headliners, especially during the regular season. Who on this roster can step up?

By god, that’s Luke Kornet’s music! Let’s discuss.

Find your stroke

Before Kornet joined the Celtics, the 3-pointer was a more consistent part of his game. In fact, during the 2018-19 season with the New York Knicks, Kornet connected on 36.3% shots from deep on 3.4 attempts per game. He averaged 17.0 minutes per contest that year, including 18 starts. This coming season with Boston could offer Kornet a more consistent role, and if that’s the case, his ability to shoot the deep ball will be important.

Not only will this help Kornet more organically fill in for Porzingis and Horford, both of whom are bonafide 3-point threats, but it will also maintain the type of good floor spacing and shooting that is key to how head coach Joe Mazzulla likes to run his offense.

Kornet becoming a reliable 3-point threat won’t just help the Celtics, but it may ensure the former Vanderbilt Commodore gets a steady diet of minutes and opportunities. After all, Mazzulla could look to go small and fill minutes in the front court with Jayson Tatum or Oshae Brissett if Kornet isn’t providing enough scoring juice.

Play big

Luke Kornet is one of the tallest players in the NBA, something he uses to great effect for the Celtics. Last year he finished fourth among all qualified players in dunk rate, with 37.6% of his field goal attempts resulting in a jam for Kornet.

That said, he wasn’t as efficient at the rim overall and took too many shots in the mid-range for a player with his unique size. Outside of 3-pointers, as many of Kornet’s shots as possible should come in the paint next season.

Kornet’s height is also a huge asset on defense and ranked 13th in blocks per 36 minutes in the NBA last year. His particular way of closing out on shooters notwithstanding, Kornet has a chance to be a special defender if he can expand on some of his best instincts and skills this season. Being a reliable defensive anchor would be a big update for Kornet.

Stay ready

At the time of this writing, we just don’t know how much Mazzulla will lean on his reserve players. While it’s expected the trio of Porzingis, Williams, and Horford will each miss some time throughout the year, what exactly that looks like is unsettled.

Kornet appeared in 69 games for Boston last season, averaging 11.7 minutes of action per game. Those numbers could go up if the injury bug hits early, the Celtics take a conservative approach during the regular season, or Kornet shows out early on.

For now, the key to success for Boston’s back-up big is to stay ready.