Is Luke Kornet Good?
The NBA is changing. The smart people knew this was the case ten years ago. The dumb people send the farm for Rudy Gobert. Celtics big man epitomizes everything that the NBA is going to turn into. Spacing matters more than anything and if your 7-footer can’t shoot, they cannot take up more than a certain percentage of the cap. Building your team around guys like Gobert when you can get someone off the street like Kornet is exactly why the Celtics are where they are. Wings rule. Centers that can’t shoot drool.
I’m in no way suggesting that shot blocking centers don’t have some value. We know the impact Robert Williams makes on the defensive side of the floor. The difference is, he signed a $54 million extension. Gobert makes close to $46 million alone in just the final year of his contract while currently taking up 30.87% of the team’s cap space. You will never win that way by committing those kinds of dollars to someone that can’t space the floor.
Yes, Kornet is a little bit of a weirdo. In fact, his jumping technique when guarding someone 15 feet away from him is something I’ve truly never seen before. Does it work? Maybe? Regardless, I laugh every time.
Those are just two examples but he’s been doing this all year. I’ve never seen it before but I’m here for it. Guy gives you A+ effort even if he’s nowhere close to actually guarding the guy. What more can you ask for?
Furthermore, Kornet does exactly what the modern NBA values. He’s 7-foot-2 and is currently knocking down 40% of his 3-point attempts. That’s while shooting 68.1% overall from the field in general. Kornet, 27, is averaging 4.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game across 13.7 minutes a game. He’s one of the biggest reasons why Rob Williams hasn’t been as missed as he otherwise should be.
Boston is outscoring their opponents by 11.7 points per 100 possessions with the former Vanderbilt product on the floor. That number dips to 7.8 when he’s not out there. Boston’s offensive rebound and block rate also increase with Kornet on the floor. Not a coincidence. You’re always better with the Kornish Hen on your side!
This is a respect blog and a reminder that you’re a complete and utter dope if you commit high dollars to a center that can’t space the floor. Why pay Gobert and give up all those picks when any team in the league could have had Kornet for nothing? Food for thought. If your center can’t shoot, he’s probably not worth anything. It’s time to get with the program because as time goes along, it’s only going to matter more and more. Spacing trumps all.
