Spurs must deliver devastating Game 2 adjustment to absolutely crush the Thunder

Lost in the San Antonio Spurs' thrilling Game 1 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder is the play of Luke Kornet. Victor Wembanyama's stat line rightly gets all of the attention in the win.

Nevertheless, the reason why he played so many minutes is because Kornet couldn't be trusted to hold down the fort without Wemby. That isn't an isolated incident in the playoffs. Teams have been going right at Kornet, and he's largely struggled. 

Ironically, the only time he looked anything like the regular season version of the unikorn is when Wembanyama got tossed in Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

The Spurs must limit Luke Kornet's playoff minutes 

I want to be clear; I'm not knocking Kornet. He has already proven to be a significant addition. Still, he has a target on his back, and opponents are attacking him every chance they get. 

That's why limiting him to around 10-12 minutes per game in the playoffs is key. The Spurs can no longer expect to win those minutes. Thus, it may be worth it to try something different. 

Rookie Carter Bryant played extremely well in Game 1 and has played center this season in small-ball lineups. Having two guards, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson, play alongside him has been the most common small ball lineup. 

Trying out that lineup could be a key Game 2 adjustment for the Spurs.

The small-ball lineup might be the perfect alternative to Luke Kornet. 

Playing that lineup against OKC has plenty of merit. After all, it might force OKC to go small and play center Isaiah Hartenstein less.

The absence of a rim protector on the floor for OKC, combined with plenty of spacing for the Spurs, could create driving lanes for De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper. Better yet, San Antonio would also have enough positional size to hold up defensively in short spurts without Wembanyama.

With the margin of error razor-thin in this series, San Antonio shoring up potential weaknesses is crucial. Given his play in the playoffs, that might mean limiting Kornet's playing time or removing him from the rotation entirely.

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