Spurs just made their stance on Luke Kornet crystal clear

After a highly successful stint starting for the San Antonio Spurs, Luke Kornet is now back with the second unit. Even so, he has clearly proven that he is a starting-caliber NBA player. That makes the team's decision to lock him up on a four-year deal for roughly $10 million annually all the more brilliant.

He was brought in to help solve San Antonio's backup center issues and has done that and then some. He has successfully backed up Wembanyama, and when he's filled in as a starter with the silver and black, they haven't missed a beat, especially offensively.

His ability to generate second-chance points by crashing the offensive glass has been quite useful, as have his screen setting, rim protection, and defensive rebounding. In fact, he has the highest offensive rating of any player in the NBA who has started at least 15 games this season.

Luke Kornet is a future starter on the Spurs

That might seem like a fluke, but he has often rated highly in that category, and San Antonio has been far improved this season offensively compared to last season.

Some of that can be attributed to De'Aaron Fox, who has helped boost their offense, but Kornet also deserves plenty of credit. He is not the most athletic center in the NBA by any means. However, he has actually proven to be one of the better ones at finishing at the rim.

He has completed 33 alley-oops this season, with many coming from Stephon Castle. Those easy buckets have helped to add a much-needed layer of vertical spacing on a team that doesn't have any other rim-running centers.

That underscores why Kornet should be an eventual starter for San Antonio. Obviously the Spurs start Harrison Barnes next to Wembanyama, but ideally they wouldn't have to rely on a 34-year-old to play at least 30 minutes per game.

Perhaps as soon as next season, San Antonio should look to start French Vanilla together, or maybe even in the playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Spurs can't rule out starting French Vanilla together

Even when Wembanyama was playing limited minutes off the bench, San Antonio was able to knock off the Thunder and their elite offense three times in a span of two weeks.

Kornet quietly helped wall off the paint, keeping Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from getting to the rim or to the line. He also helped free up Fox and Castle for easy mid-range jumpers or shots in the paint.

His work on the offensive glass was also valuable, combining to grab 10 offensive rebounds in their three meetings. It's an underrated skill that also helps San Antonio defensively. OKC likes to get out and run, but grabbing offensive boards or tipping the ball back out keeps them from starting fast breaks.

Having a big man who can do the dirty work that Wembanyama struggles with is helpful. Kornet can free up Fox and Castle to get into the paint and draw defenders when he rolls hard to the basket.

Whatever spacing is lost by starting Kornet would be offset by his screen setting, offensive rebounding, and vertical spacing. That makes him and Wembanyama a viable starting pairing the Spurs could ultimately go with in the near future.