The Boston Celtics are once again dealing with the center position being the weakest link. With Robert Williams on the shelf to start the season and with Al Horford most likely to be load managed, the Celtics don’t have much depth further into the position.
Luke Kornet should be available for the start of the season after dealing with an ankle injury during the preseason. While with the Maine Celtics last year, Kornet averaged 11.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game in a fast paced Maine offense. In three G-League seasons, Kornet has averaged 43 percent from behind the arc.
At 7’2”, Kornet is the tallest player on the Celtics and one of the tallest in the NBA. He can maneuver around the court well in the ever switching defense Boston has mastered. Kornet is the best option to replicate what Rob offers. Obviously he isn’t Rob, but with his height and skills as a passer from the top of the key, Kornet will prove to be a serviceable role for this team- not to mention he offers shooting to the position.
The real intrigue with Kornet is his ability to read and defend pick-and-roll defenses while spacing the floor at the same time. He understands he’s a long body and should be able to defend every shot that goes up against him.
It’s still unknown if the Celtics are going to utilize the double-big lineup while Rob Williams is out. But it’s fair to say that being able to interchange Horford and Kornet into the double-big would be most ideal, especially for a team like Boston who had the best lineup in the NBA last season with pairing Rob and Al together on the court.
Kornet is valuable on the Celtics roster. Last time I said this in a Tweet, Brad Stevens liked it and sent the world into a frenzy. In all seriousness, Kornet could become even more valuable once Williams returns to the lineup, perhaps even pairing them on the court together on an off night for Horford.
In all, Kornet really is valuable in multiple ways for the Celtics. I think fans are going to be impressed with what Kornet brings to the table this season.
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Photo Credit: David Butler II, USA TODAY Sports
The Celtics Files 
2 responses to “The Celtics are fine with Luke Kornet holding down center position”
Good Luck Luke! You’re one of my favs!
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[…] Luke Kornet is continuing to get minutes in as the primary backup center. He’s been one of the first to come in off the bench over the last few games and is doing what the Celtics need of him. He’s scoring at a minimum but he’s also setting plays up for his teammates on the offensive end. In fact, per NBA’s hustle stats, Kornet leads the Celtics with 2.8 screen assists per game. On defense, he’s shown to be somewhat intimidating to opposing offenses and we saw that against the Wizards but it’s been a progressively growing trend with every game he plays. […]
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