Luke Kornet’s early season numbers for the Spurs are tough to look at: averaging just 2.4 points on a brutal 36.4% shooting through five games, a huge drop from last season. But somehow, head coach Mitch Johnson is still out here defending his guy, saying the struggle isn’t all on the backup center.
Kornet’s Stuttering Start: The Raw Numbers Are Hard to Ignore
Let’s just be real, the stats for Luke Kornet right now are not pretty. Through five games, he is putting up just 2.4 points on a dismal 36.4% shooting, snagging 3.6 rebounds, and blocking 0.6 shots in 14.6 minutes a night. Compare that to last season, when he averaged a solid 6.5 points on 64.3% shooting, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks over 68 games, playing 21.0 minutes. The difference is night and day.
The recent game in Utah, an overtime 117-111 win, really highlighted the struggle. Kornet grabbed six rebounds, but could only muster 1 point, going 0-of-2 from the field in 14 minutes. To cap it off, he finished with a team-worst minus-8 plus-minus rating. You’d think that would be enough to get a coach raising an eyebrow, right? But Johnson sees it differently.
Coach and Teammates Back Their Guy: “It’s a System”
Coach Mitch Johnson is not letting Kornet hang out to dry, not by a long shot. He straight up said, “I think that part of that is the four guys that are out there with Luke need to be better.” He even acknowledged the unfair comparison to Victor Wembanyama that sometimes gets made, stressing that if the same four guys are on the court with both, then it’s not just a “Luke thing.” He’s basically telling everyone else to step up too.
Sixth man Keldon Johnson, who often shares the court with Kornet, echoed the coach’s sentiment. “It’s true,” he said. “Defense takes all five people and Vic is a tremendous, tremendous defender. Luke is a really, really good defender, but if we don’t help Luke out, he can’t do it by himself. And basketball’s a team sport.” Keldon isn’t wrong. If the bench unit isn’t sharp, you can’t just expect Kornet to be perfect every time. He’s making good plays, blocking shots, but it’s “kind of unfair to say that it just all falls on Luke.” Even Wembanyama weighed in, saying, “When we go out there, we’re a system. No matter the lineup that’s playing, it’s a system.” It sounds like a full team effort, or lack thereof, is the issue here.
What’s Next for Kornet?
So, what does this all mean for Kornet? Fans are definitely clamoring to see more of rookie center Tarris Reed Jr., especially with Kornet’s current output. But it looks like Mitch Johnson is sticking with his veteran. Kornet is in the second year of a three-year contract, with a team option for 2028-29, so he’s locked in for a bit. The team clearly wants him to thrive in his role, but that means the whole bench unit needs to sharpen those defensive principles, and fast, if they want to give Kornet the support he needs to turn these numbers around. This isn’t just about one player, it’s about the entire system.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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