The Spurs’ bench was largely a disappointment in the playoffs after being a huge strength in the regular season. While Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson will rightfully get the most scrutiny for his struggles on offense, Luke Kornet had his own issues not only on defense but also scoring inside against better interior defenses.
Kornet is largely a finished product by now, so expecting him to alter his offensive game severely to account for his athletic limitations is too optimistic. That said, there is one relatively simple weapon to develop that he could add to his arsenal, which could make a huge impact on his viability as a playoff scorer and overall offensive player: a floater.
Kornet’s shot profile seemed optimized, at least for the regular season, based on his skills. He gave up on the three-pointer he tried to develop earlier in his career and only takes shots close to the basket now that are largely created for him. He sets screens and dives or roams the dunker spot. Of his 330 field goal attempts, 291 came in the restricted area, and by being close to the rim, he maximized his valuable offensive rebounding. At age 31, Kornet found success as an inside scorer, and he plays to his strengths.
The problem he ran into in the postseason was better rim protection that neutralized his inside scoring, which was his only weapon. On the surface, Kornet going from shooting 65.9 percent in the restricted area to 61.2 percent doesn’t seem like that big of an issue, but since scoring close to the rim is the only way he can get buckets, it was damaging for a second unit that often struggled to create good looks,
Now, with Kornet, his value was always expected to mostly be derived from his defense, so it’s tempting to dismiss any complaints about his scoring. Still, we can’t ignore that San Antonio scored over 10 fewer points per 100 possessions when he played. There’s a strong case to be made that his individual struggles were more a symptom of poor perimeter shot creation than anything else, while the on/off numbers are a reflection of Victor Wembanyama’s greatness, but the fact remains: the Spurs were slightly worse than their average on defense with Kornet playing and absolutely horrendous on offense in the playoffs.
So, would a reliable floater have made a difference? Probably. Isaiah Hartenstein showed the Spurs how much the ability of a non-shooting center to be a threat to score inside the arc can help when nothing else works. Since Victor Wembanyama was a monster close to the paint on defense, Hartenstein stayed away from the rim to be a release valve and used his touch to score. He made as many field goals outside of eight feet as he did within them, which is vastly different than the ratio he had in the regular season, where he took 225 within eight feet and just 64 within eight and 16 feet. The adjustment made him playable.
The floater or push shot is simply a great weapon for big men who are not typical lob threats or three-point shooters. The Spurs not only faced a big with that skill but used to have one, as Jakob Poeltl used his unorthodox launch to make buckets when big men ignored him or dropped too far in the paint to contest ball handlers. There’s no reason to believe Kornet couldn’t get decent at it and at least use it situationally.
Kornet is too useful as a dive man to turn into more of a short roll player, and he’d have to really prove to opponents that he can hurt them with a floater before they start defending him in a way that opens up shots for others. Even if the defense reacts to him away from the rim, he might not have the passing chops and quick decision-making to take advantage, since he never played that role. For the most part, he should continue to set screens, roll hard and make himself available for a pass, and get in position to rebound misses.
If he can mix in the occasional floater, push shot, or even a short jumper, however, he would have a counter for when the defense drops deep to protect the paint. Expecting him to become a knockdown shooter, playmaker, or post scorer at age 31 would not be realistic, but hoping he can diversify his finishing ability a little to make him less dependent on shots directly at the rim doesn’t seem that unreasonable.
The Spurs knew what they were getting when they signed Kornet: a rock-solid backup center with no perimeter skills but the ability to protect the rim against second units and score inside if he was fed. If he’s nothing more than that once again next season, he will be extremely valuable, especially in the regular season.
If he has one more minor evolution left in him in terms of developing a bit of range, however, he could be as important in the playoffs by keeping the offense more diverse when Wembanyama rests, the paint is crowded, and the ideal shots are not available.
Read the full article here