Despite adding two lottery picks in this year’s draft, the San Antonio Spurs arguably made a bigger impact in free agency. The Spurs wisely went after Luke Kornet, offering him most of the mid-level exception within minutes of the start of free agency.
That allowed them to scoop up a wildly underrated center, signing him to a partially guaranteed 4-year deal. That was done with the goal of solving the black hole at center behind Victor Wembanyama.
For those who watched the Spurs last season when Wemby was off the court, they were treated to an almost comedically bad group of backup centers. That sounds like hyperbole, but before signing Kornet, they brought in Bismack Biyombo, who hadn’t played in the NBA in two years.
Despite that, he was head and shoulders their best center behind Wembanyama. Unsurprisingly, none of the backup centers from last season are back. Instead, Kornet and Kelly Olynyk will handle backup duties with spot minutes from Jeremy Sochan. That should be far better than last season for the Spurs and give them plenty of options.
Luke Kornet could be the Spurs’ secret weapon
A big reason the Spurs brought in Kornet is that he is an elite rim protector, ranking in the top five in defensive field goal percentage last season. Opponents simply can’t shoot when he’s guarding them.
He’s also a strong offensive rebounder, a solid screen setter, and a good passer—all things that the Spurs have historically valued in big men. Those skills could also open the door for coach Mitch Johnson to experiment with playing Kornet with Wembanyama.
That would be the biggest front-court pairing in the NBA and give San Antonio a unique lineup. Pairing them with De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, and another shooter such as Julian Champagnie orHarrison Barnes would be an intriguing five-man lineup to try.
They’d have plenty of size with Fox being the “smallest player” at 6’4″, two 7-footers, and another 6’8″ forward. Three shooters surrounding Fox as he runs pick and roll with Kornet would be lethal.
Luke Kornet may be the perfect front-court partner for Wembanyama
Kornet can even develop a two-man game with Wembanyama. The Spurs have also historically used high-low actions with one of their big men feeding the other in the paint. David Robinson and Tim Duncan, Boris Diaw or Tiago Splitter and Duncan, and Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge are all examples.
The Spurs could get more creative by utilizing Kornet’s screen-setting ability by having him set pin-down screens for Wembanyama. That would get Wembanyama more open looks and put defenses on their heels.
Kornet could also roll to the basket in those situations, giving Wembanyama a release valve who can finish at the rim. Then there is the defensive end. Wembanyama can guard fours while still being able to challenge shots at the basket, allowing Kornet to hang out near the paint and protect the rim.
Kornet’s versatility gives the Spurs plenty of options
It’s not hard to have a good defense when teams can’t shoot within 10 feet of the basket. If they can figure out the offense, more specifically the spacing, then a Kornet and Wembanyama pairing could eventually work.
Still, it might not be as viable this season with San Antonio having so many non-shooters. That is unless two of Stephon Castle, Sochan, and Dylan Harper figure out how to shoot. If that happens, then San Antonio could better utilize all of what Kornet has to offer.
After next season, there’s a big question mark at starting power forward with Harrison Barnes possibly aging out of the role and Sochan’s shooting woes. If the Spurs opt to let Barnes leave in free agency and determine that Sochan is best suited as a third big man, then Kornet could eventually start. He could start games, have his minutes staggered, and still back up Wembanyama, giving the Spurs more options.
All in all, the Spurs’ addition of Kornet gives them plenty of possibilities. He could not only serve as Wembanyama’s backup but also potentially share the floor with him.
