PHOENIX — When the Celtics traded for Xavier Tillman at the trade deadline, there were some questions about how Luke Kornet’s role could be impacted in the meantime. Kornet’s been the third big man off the bench all season, so another big on the roster could affect his role.
The 28-year-old big man was unbothered by the trade, welcoming in his new teammate in Tillman. And in the meantime, whenever Kornet’s number has been called in recent games, he contributes. That was again the case in the Celtics’ win over the Suns as Kornet poured in 14 points and six rebounds.
But it’s the defensive side of the ball where Kornet sticks out with his 7-foot-1 frame, which is also why C’s coach Joe Mazzulla praised the big man.
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“He’s one of the best at our defensive system,” Mazzulla said. “He has an innate ability to communicate matchups, change matchups and change his coverage. … So he’s just go an innate ability to communicate our defensive system. But also make the right read defensively. It’s an under-appreciated skill Luke has to be able to do that, and that’s why we trust him defensively.”
Kornet said it feels like it’s his responsibility to protect the rim as best he can — he’s succeeded in that throughout the year, averaging one block in just 14.6 minutes per game. Kornet also represents a nice option off the bench where the Celtics can trust he’ll contribute when he’s on the court. Over the course of a long regular season, guys like Kornet are valuable for the roster.
Elsewhere, Kornet also said he understands what types of shot they want to give up to the opposition. For example, the C’s often leave non-shooters open as the C’s are content giving up those looks. Much like the Celtics search for the best shot on offense, they limit what the opposition’s best shot is on defense.
Kornet’s recent play is a great luxury for the Celtics going forward. There will be times when Mazzulla elects to go with Tillman based on matchups, like in the Nuggets loss. But the more options the Celtics have for the playoffs, the better their championship chances will be.
“I think we do a good job of being pretty open-minded about matchups,” Kornet said. “Especially for me, sometimes putting me on guards or wings. I think it’s something that’s not most difficult but I think within that, they kind of know where we want to get the ball to go to defensively, frankly. Just trying to work with that, play with that.”
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