Luke Kornet Reveals Secret to Improvement With Celtics

Kornet singled out a former Celtics coach for his impact after their preseason victory against the 76ers.

Luke Kornet / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Luke Kornet was everywhere for the Celtics as they beat the heavily undermanned Philadelphia 76ers by exactly 50 points. In 17 minutes of action, Kornet put up 17 points and eight rebounds. Kornet's presence was felt almost immediately from how he dominated on the inside.

It's the Luke Kornet show pic.twitter.com/LapDRUNGNj

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 13, 2024

As big as he is, Kornet's IQ helped him utilize his size effectively down low on posts ups and make himself wide open for teammates to find him for multiple easy dunks. After the game, Kornet revealed which former Celtics coach encouraged him to play basketball the way he currently does during his postgame press conference.

Luke Kornet said Charles Lee pushed him to embrace a more physical part of his game.

— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) October 13, 2024

When Kornet first came to Boston, he came in as somewhat of a stretch-five. In fact, that's how Kornet first grabbed the attention of Celtics fans when he hit two clutch threes in his debut during his first season with the team.

Since then, Kornet has deserted his three-point shot and relied more on being physical inside. Doing so has helped him become a more dependable rotation big for the Celtics over the years. It's safe to say that entering his fifth season in Boston, Kornet has become much better as he has embraced his best qualities as a center.

Kornet isn't the best leaper in the NBA, but his size combined with his athleticism makes him effective as a lob threat and rim protector. That alone makes him a very effective rotation big. However, part of Kornet's development is using what he has in his arsenal to score around the rim at a higher rate instead of hanging around the perimeter. In short, being more physical is his forte, not spacing the floor.

Not too long ago, there were questions surrounding whether Kornet was capable of holding his own as a backup center for a contender like the Celtics. Now, Kornet's starting in place of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, where such a decision is not being questioned, but in fact, encouraged.