Luke Kornet owes Spurs fans some nasty after his playoff performance

One thing was made crystal clear during Victor Wembanyama's sophomore campaign: he desperately needed a suitable backup center who could hold down the fort when he went to the bench. Luke Kornet was acquired specifically for that purpose and did an admirable job of it... during the regular season.

When the playoffs rolled around, Mr. Luke, I am your father, wasn't nearly as productive. To be fair, he was fine against the Portland Trail Blazers, but as soon as the Timberwolves came to town for round two, everything changed.

All of a sudden, Kornet was too flat-footed. His lack of lateral quickness was exposed, and teams attacked him relentlessly. San Antonio often struggled on both sides of the floor as teams helped off Luke on defense and attacked him in the paint on offense. That can't happen again. As former Coach Popovich would say, we need some nasty from Kornet.

Kornet must fix the things he can control

The nine-year veteran doesn't need to become a different player. I'm not even sure if he could pull that off at this point. But he could certainly work on his lateral foot speed, conditioning, and anticipation.

A second year in the system should help improve his decision-making. The Spurs need him to be more aggressive when setting screens and more efficient when operating out of the short-roll.

Kornet shot threes when he first entered the league. He attempted more than four a game and made over 35% in consecutive seasons. I don't necessarily want him to start jacking up the ball from deep again, but he could stand to start shooting more midrange shots. Give the defenses something else to think about.

Luke must find a way to remain a threat. If he's not going to add more shooting to his game, he could get more active on the glass. Getting extra possessions for his explosive teammates would be a fantastic boost to his presence on the floor.

Brian Wright brought in reinforcements for next season. Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. may be young, but both players have made the NBA after playing a minimum of two years in college. Their added experience should fast-track their learning process, making them more viable sooner.

Kornet is going to start the year with the backup job, but how long he keeps it is up to him. He'll undoubtedly have another strong regular season, but if he becomes unplayable in the playoffs again, two young bucks are waiting in the wings to take his place.

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