If you had told me that Luke Kornet would be the starting center for the 2024 Boston Celtics after the Brooklyn Nets eliminated the Celtics in the 2021 NBA playoffs, marking the end of Kornet’s first time with the Celtics, I would have been confident that things hadn’t gone as planned in the years that followed.
A lot has happened since that ghastly 2020-2021 season for the Celtics. Luke Kornet’s development as a player ranks somewhere between the Celtics securing Banner 18 and Payton Pritchard unlocking the ability to hit halfcourt shots at a ridiculous clip.
When Luke Kornet initially started the first two preseason games instead of Al Horford, there was no reason to think anything of it; resting Al Horford in the preseason was a no-brainer.
Then Luke Kornet put on an electric performance against the Philadelphia 76ers’s second and third stringers. Kornet stuffed the box score in the first quarter with 11 points and 4 rebounds. He finished the game with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. His performance sparked furthered the idea that he could be the Celtics starter to start the regular season.
Joe Mazzulla preaches being detailed in their approach to each game, and Kornet’s development is an example of that coming to fruition.
“I think continuing to find ways to be able to help our guys get open, to be able to leverage the advantages that we have, just based on who and what’s on the court, and our ability as a team to kind of recognise that,” he said Saturday night.
As for why the Celtics would start Luke Kornet in place of Al Horford to start the regular season, it’s simply easier to limit Al Horford’s minutes while having the option to close games with him if he comes off the bench. It’s a classic case of trying to have your cake and eat it, too. Suppose the Celtics can preserve the legs of the ageless wonder that is Al Horford while still reaping the benefits of his ability to assist in winning basketball games. That’s something worth exploring.
Although Luke Kornet has played incredibly well through three preseason games, the idea of him being the Celtics’ starting centre on opening night against the Knicks makes me a little queasy. I would prefer to start Horford in those marquee matchups while Kornet starts the following two games against the Wizards and Pistons. I may be being short-sighted, though. Pushing for regular-season wins against conference rivals can be essential for seeding. On the other hand, prioritising Al Horford’s longevity for the playoffs is significantly more important than locking up the one seed.
It’s hard to make a statistical argument against him. The Celtics were better with Luke Kornet on the court than off the court last season. In 983 minutes with Luke Kornet on the court, the Celtics had a net rating of 11.73. In 2,983 minutes with Luke Kornet off the court, the Celtics had a net rating of 11.22. In seven starts last season, Luke Kornet put up 11 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on the way to a 7-0 record.
Could the Celtics lock up the best record in NBA history by going 82-0 behind the play of starting centre Luke Kornet? There is only one way to find out.
