The Unikornet

[The Mort Report]

Probably wanted to stay disciplined, fulfill his role, & keep his NBA job without the variance of 3pt shooting.

Plus Luke is bright enough to realize he is mostly on the floor with PP & Hauser. Playing D, setting screens, & rolling creates tremendous value.

A multiple-year, gtd deal may greenlight more 3PA for future seasons.

Oh for sure, but I feel like maybe once a game he receives a pass outside the 3p line and has no one within 15 feet of him and no one closes. Just the threat that he has the range could really bend the D. I'm not saying he should take 4 a game, but if a team is going to leave him that wide open and he's shown the range I'm surprised Joe hasn't urged him to shoot those

 

[benhogan]

This is crazy. Jokic has schooled the best interior defenders in the game over and over (AD, Bam Embiid, Gobert, etc.).

Come on man, stop trying so hard taking one line in a post so out of context

Obviously, I would never compare Luke freaking Kornet to AD, Bam, Rudy, etc

It's relative to what the Celtics have on their roster to bother Joker (Tillman was mentioned in the line above my post)

 

[benhogan]

Oh for sure, but I feel like maybe once a game he receives a pass outside the 3p line and has no one within 15 feet of him and no one closes. Just the threat that he has the range could really bend the D. I'm not saying he should take 4 a game, but if a team is going to leave him that wide open and he's shown the range I'm surprised Joe hasn't urged him to shoot those

Agreed. I've been begging for Luke to start firing from 3 for months.

I'd like to see Kornet fire a few (SAS game would have been a good time) from the top of the key. You want to avoid Centers just living in the paint, never taking perimeter jumpers.

Even Aron Baynes came up with a handful of key 3s in a playoff series against the 76ers.

Also Luke would increase his value quite a bit if developed that shot, which shouldn't be all that tough for him. He had over 400 3PAs in his first 4 seasons.

Luke has to be watching Tillman clank Corner3s and saying to himself "damn, I can do better than that"

Then again, Luke is 3/23 over the last 3 years with Zero 3PA this season.

With a dozen pretty meaningless games ahead and plenty of PT, just launch a couple every game
(he can even come up with some goofy celebration after he hits one)

 

[lovegtm]

This is crazy. Jokic has schooled the best interior defenders in the game over and over (AD, Bam Embiid, Gobert, etc.).

Yeah, Jokic is the one upcoming potential matchup that Luke can't play in (assuming Milwaukee does get eliminated).

 

[lovegtm]

Wrt Luke's shooting 3s: they had a 124.9 (!) offensive rating with him on the court this year, so he must be doing something right in his offensive role on this team, and maybe random 3-pointers wouldn't add to that.

Some of that is garbage time, but he played a lot of real minutes too, and the Celtics' garbage time lineups usually were meh offensively.

 

[NomarsFool]

@RorschachsMask once mentioned an injury that hurt his shooting, but not sure.

It's unclear whether that was a joke or not. Kornet is pretty sarcastic.

 

[lovegtm]

It's unclear whether that was a joke or not. Kornet is pretty sarcastic.

Fair. I do think people really underappreciate how valuable his current offensive role is, and how shooting 1 3 a game wouldn't necessarily improve it.

 

[chilidawg]

Yes. His box didn't look like much 2pts/7 rebs but he was excellent.

Ahh, but that +/- sure was beautiful.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Ahh, but that +/- sure was beautiful.

There’s a peace to be had in admiring the beauty of a single game +/- without using it in any way, shape or form, to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a basketball player or players in any combination whatsoever.

 

[NomarsFool]

Fair. I do think people really underappreciate how valuable his current offensive role is, and how shooting 1 3 a game wouldn't necessarily improve it.

It's not the points, necessarily, but the secondary impact on what the defense does. The way the C's gave Bam like 20' of space to shoot a three last night - not sure I've ever seen someone so dared to shoot before. Not that we've seen people do that with Kornet, but we wouldn't want to see that.

 

[chilidawg]

There’s a peace to be had in admiring the beauty of a single game +/- without using it in any way, shape or form, to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a basketball player or players in any combination whatsoever.

Like any other box score stat.

 

[Montana Fan]

For the life of me I can’t find Luke’s standing reach but recall it being 9’6” which is very good. He doesn’t go for fakes very often and maintains good position with his hands up. In certain matchups, like against the 6’10” Bam, Kornet is a challenge to get around and over.

 

[Saints Rest]

For the life of me I can’t find Luke’s standing reach but recall it being 9’6” which is very good. He doesn’t go for fakes very often and maintains good position with his hands up. In certain matchups, like against the 6’10” Bam, Kornet is a challenge to get around and over.

I saw one block but a bunch of other shots altered, both by Bam and others.

 

[benhogan]

Ahh, but that +/- sure was beautiful.

you're breaking one of the Commandments around here

thou shalt not acknowledge one game plus minus

 

[chilidawg]

you're breaking one of the Commandments around here

thou shalt not acknowledge one game plus minus

Not the first commandment I've broken, and I'm sure it won't be the last.

 

[JakeRae]

My general understanding is Kornet stopped shooting threes to focus on developing his interior skills as he thought that was more important to his ability to contribute. You can’t do everything all at once. That decision looks like it was smart as it’s not clear he was a good enough shooter to stick with an offensive game centered on the perimeter. As his growth in other areas slows down, I wouldn’t be surprised if he at some point shifts to redeveloping that skill and adding it back. He’s a .323 career shooter and shot .320 in college, so it’s also possible he just doesn’t have the ability and had a lucky stretch those first 2 years to be around league average.

 

[RorschachsMask]

View: https://twitter.com/BobbyKrivitsky/status/1786437809022120085

 

[Koufax]

He does it in warmups before the game as well. I don't expect to seem him shoot any unless the clock is running out.

 

[bgo544]

See? I told you. It's the secret weapon.

Edit: Holy hell, that's a slow release.

 

[chilidawg]

See? I told you. It's the secret weapon.

Edit: Holy hell, that's a slow release.

If he's shooting them it's because no one is guarding him, I don't think release speed is going to be an issue.

 

[benhogan]

View: https://twitter.com/BobbyKrivitsky/status/1786437809022120085

Some NBA team will be happy when they get Kornet for $20M/4yrs. Hopefully its Boston

 

[lovegtm]

If he's shooting them it's because no one is guarding him, I don't think release speed is going to be an issue.

This isn't how it works though: every little bit slower you are is another step the guy can stand away from you. Slowness also allows him to close out under control. Shooting effectiveness (in the context of an offensive ecosystem) is about so, so much more than raw %.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

This isn't how it works though: every little bit slower you are is another step the guy can stand away from you. Slowness also allows him to close out under control. Shooting effectiveness (in the context of an offensive ecosystem) is about so, so much more than raw %.

Case in point - Amir Johnson. He shot 40% from three one year for the Celtics, but his release was so slow he rarely shot.

 

[tbrown_01923]

But the "uni-korner" three would be fun... that's all I got.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

The way the C's gave Bam like 20' of space to shoot a three last night - not sure I've ever seen someone so dared to shoot before. Not that we've seen people do that with Kornet, but we wouldn't want to see that.

No one’s been dared to shoot like that since Draymond decided to give JB all the 3Ps he wanted.

 

[Cornboy14]

Anything on Kornet’s injury?

 

[Saints Rest]

Bigger question: does he know who Wally Pipp is?

 

[Euclis20]

Listed as doubtful for tomorrow's game, which I guess is better than out. I'm hoping he's doubtful largely because the Celtics aren't about to take any risks given the current state of the series, but there's a legit chance this actually goes really bad: If KP is out for longer than expected (or just can't return this year at all), and Kornet can't play because of a wrist injury, all of a sudden the only center we feel comfortable giving playoff minutes too is the guy turning 38 just before game 1. And both WC teams have real centers, we can't get away with putting Tatum/Brown/Brissett on any of those guys.

 

[bigq]

Listed as doubtful for tomorrow's game, which I guess is better than out. I'm hoping he's doubtful largely because the Celtics aren't about to take any risks given the current state of the series, but there's a legit chance this actually goes really bad: If KP is out for longer than expected (or just can't return this year at all), and Kornet can't play because of a wrist injury, all of a sudden the only center we feel comfortable giving playoff minutes too is the guy turning 38 just before game 1. And both WC teams have real centers, we can't get away with putting Tatum/Brown/Brissett on any of those guys.

Tillman would get considerable run. I wonder if Queta could play a handful of minutes probably at the risk of quickly fouling out.

 

[Euclis20]

Tillman would get considerable run. I wonder if Queta could play a handful of minutes probably at the risk of quickly fouling out.

Yeah I'm not saying there aren't options, but potentially having to either rely on Al to play 40+ minutes or give 10-20 minutes to someone like Tillman or Queta (neither of whom Joe seems to trust over Kornet) in the NBA finals seems less than ideal.

 

[bigq]

Yeah I'm not saying there aren't options, but potentially having to either rely on Al to play 40+ minutes or give 10-20 minutes to someone like Tillman or Queta (neither of whom Joe seems to trust over Kornet) in the NBA finals seems less than ideal.

Agree it would be less than ideal and a matchup with Minnesota in the finals without KP and Kornet would be a wild ride.
.

 

[lovegtm]

Listed as doubtful for tomorrow's game, which I guess is better than out. I'm hoping he's doubtful largely because the Celtics aren't about to take any risks given the current state of the series, but there's a legit chance this actually goes really bad: If KP is out for longer than expected (or just can't return this year at all), and Kornet can't play because of a wrist injury, all of a sudden the only center we feel comfortable giving playoff minutes too is the guy turning 38 just before game 1. And both WC teams have real centers, we can't get away with putting Tatum/Brown/Brissett on any of those guys.

None of these opposing centers (except KAT) have great offensive games, however. You actually probably could get away with going small against them, if you really really crashed the defensive glass.

 

[Light-Tower-Power]

If Kornet is merely doubtful today I would think it probably isn't enough to sideline him two weeks from now. Not concerned.

 

[lovegtm]

Nice to see that Kornet's wrist thing doesn't seem to have lingered.