The Spurs May Have Just Stolen The Most Overlooked Player Of The Offseason!

The Spurs May Have Just Stolen The Most Overlooked Player Of The Offseason!

Luke Cornett might just be the most overlooked free agent pickup of the entire off season. After a season that made it crystal clear the Spurs needed a reliable big man to back up Wemby, they quietly addressed that need by signing Cornet to a contract worth just $10 million per year. Still only 30 years old and coming off the best season of his career, posting personal bests in both points and assists, Cornet feels like a seamless fit in San Antonio’s system. And defensively, the numbers speak for themselves. Among all players who defended at least 200 shots at the rim last season, Cornet’s new teammate Wemby ranked top five in defensive field goal percentage. But what’s even more impressive is that Cornet wasn’t far behind him. He ranked in the top 10 leaguewide ahead of established defenders like Jiren Jackson Jr., Ivy Kazubac, Anthony Davis, and Evan Mobley. All of whom are either defensive player of the year winners or have made all defensive team selections. And yet, Cornet quite literally towers over them all. Even when isolating for blocks per 36 minutes to get a more accurate feel for shot blocking impact, Cornet is right there in the mix, if not outright better than many of those marquee names. And the eye test backs it up. Even when opponents do manage to score at the rim, it’s rarely easy. Cornet makes every shot a battle, forcing players into awkward angles and tough finishes just to get the ball through the hoop. Now picture him coming off the bench to back up Wem. That’s two seven-footers with elite rim protection patrolling the paint for 48 minutes a night. For opponents next season, attacking the rim against the Spurs is going to feel like trying to score in a forest. Long arms and towering bodies at every turn. It’s going to be a nightmare. In fact, Cornet isn’t just someone who can back up Wem. He’s a player who can share the floor with him. Together, they have the potential to form a terrifying twin tower duo. Two seven-footers anchoring the paint, creating a defensive wall that opponents will struggle to get through. But Cornet offers more than just rim protection. While he might not be as agile or freakishly quick as Wemi, he moves surprisingly well for a player his size. Just take a look at some of these clips here. He’s matched up against his new teammate, Stefon Castle. Castle tries to beat him off the dribble, but Cornet slides with him step for step. As Castle rises for the shot, Cornet stays disciplined, contests without fouling, and forces the miss. On this next play, Haime Hakez catches the ball off a pass from Duncan Robinson, and immediately looks to attack, but Cornet reacts fast. He moves his feet, doesn’t bite on the pump fake, stays grounded, and then perfectly times his contest to force another miss before securing the rebound to finish the possession. And another one. Dante Exom tries to get by Cornet on the drive. And although it looks like Exxom gets a step, Cornet is able to use every inch of his massive 7 foot6 wingspan to recover and block the shot right at the rim. These plays don’t just show his ability to guard smaller players one-on-one. They also highlight the shot blocking instincts and rim protection we touched on earlier. Now, to be clear, Cornet didn’t post elite isolation numbers last season. He gave up nearly a point per possession on ISOs. But let’s put that in perspective. Most bigs his size would get completely cooked in those situations. The fact that he can hang with quicker guards and wings, even limit them to around a point per possession, is impressive on its own. In fact, even Wem, his own teammate, gave up just as many points per possession in isolation last season as Cornet did. And that’s exactly what makes this potential too big lineup with Wemi and Cornet so intriguing heading into next season. They can cover for each other, especially when teams try to exploit them in one-on-one situations. If one of them gets beaten off the dribble by a quicker guard or wing on the perimeter, the Spurs will still have another 7-footer waiting in the paint, ready to rotate and contest at the rim. Last season, outside of Wemby, no one on the Spurs roster held opponents below 60% shooting at the rim. That’s a big reason San Antonio finished just 13th in rim defense, allowing opponents to shoot 64.8% 8% in that area. Just imagine how much worse that number could have been without Wemby anchoring the paint. Now with Cornet in the mix, the Spurs interior defense is set to take a major leap. And if WMBBY stays healthy, we could be looking at a top three rim protecting team next season. But it’s not just their size or rim protection that makes this pairing exciting. It’s their activity. Both Webby and Cornet are unusually mobile and engaged for bigs. When you look at the ground they cover on defense per 36 minutes and compare it to other defensive player of the year caliber bigs, their defensive hustle jumps off the chart. And a huge part of Cornet’s defensive value comes from his instincts and energy as a help defender. Here’s a perfect example. Cornet sees Horford caught in a one-on-one with Jokic with under 5 seconds left on the shot clock. He quickly recognizes the situation and goes for the double team. Jookic with his elite vision reads it perfectly and swings it to Christian Brown wide open in the weak side corner. But watch how Cornet doesn’t just commit to the double and stay there. The moment that ball leaves Jookic’s hands, he’s already sprinting back to recover. By the time Brown rises for the shot, Cornett is already there with a timely contest, forcing the miss. That sequence right there encapsulates what makes Cornet such an exceptional help defender. It’s his ability to help without overcommitting and to recover without panicking that make him a defensive asset. He’s not just flying around aimlessly. He’s using his wingspan, mobility, and defensive IQ to make calculated plays. And of course, let’s not forget the iconic cornet contest, something Spurs fans might want to get used to seeing next season. And who knows, maybe we’ll be witnessing the birth of the Wemby contest alongside it. Now, let’s flip to the other side of the floor where Cornet doesn’t get nearly enough credit. Last season, over 20% of the Spurs offensive possessions came in transition. They ranked top 10 in both transition frequency and points per possession. And Cornet, he fits that system like a glove. Among Spurs players with at least 30 transition possessions last season, only Harrison Barnes posted a higher points per possession mark in transition than Cornet. He thrives in the open court, beating his matchup down the floor, putting pressure on defenses, and creating early offense opportunities. And while he isn’t known as a floor spacer, his relentless rim running wears opposing bigs down. If they decide to jog instead of sprint like Yabusell does here, Cornet punishes them with a straight line path to the rim for an easy dunk. But make no mistake, Cornet’s value isn’t limited to transition. He can impact the game just as much in the half court. When it comes to being involved in the action, especially in pick and roll situations, Cornet quietly stands out as one of the more effective role men in the league. While he may not have the offensive versatility or floor spacing ability of other modern bigs, his efficiency as a roller puts him right up there with the best. When you compare his impact to more dynamic bigs like Jokic, Porzingis, or Miles Turner, players who can both roll to the rim and stretch the floor, Cornet still holds his own. Despite lacking a pick and pop threat, his effectiveness as a pure roller is undeniable. And because he doesn’t space the floor like those hybrid bigs, defenses tend to approach him differently. Instead of guarding him using versatile defensive bigs who are capable of playing multiple defensive coverages, teams usually assign more traditional rim protecting centers who stick to drop coverage. But this actually plays into Cornet’s strengths. That drop coverage gives him just enough space to operate, and he knows how to take advantage. He’s quick enough to catch passes on the roll and finish at the rim. But what’s even more impressive is his vision. If help defenders collapse on him, he has the awareness to kick the ball out to an open shooter beyond the ark. And we haven’t even touched on his vertical presence, his lob threat. Alley oops are a huge part of how Cornet scores in pick and roll actions. If the defending big leans too much toward the ball handler, Cornet slips behind the coverage and becomes the perfect target for an easy lob. Even when he’s not involved in the primary action, he’s always lurking as a secondary lob threat. If a teammate drives past their defender and draws help from Cornet’s man, he instinctively cuts into space, ready to finish above the rim. And that brings me back to Cornet’s underrated vision and playmaking ability. If you haven’t watched much of him over the years, you might not realize just how much he’s grown as a playmaker. Whether it’s lofting an over-the-top pass to a cutting teammate or threading the needle with a bounce pass in traffic, Cornet’s delivering dimes that many guards would struggle to pull off. It gives the Spurs yet another offensive wrinkle, using Cornet as a playmaking hub on certain sets, especially when they run offball actions for their guards. But before I wrap up, I can’t leave without highlighting Cornett’s high basketball IQ. His feel for the game, especially off the ball, is incredibly sharp. Anytime his defender so much as stunts toward the ball or steps in to help, Cornet immediately recognizes it and makes a timely cut to the basket, creating a clean passing lane for his teammate. And it’s not just scoring off those cuts. If help defense rotates toward him, Cornet’s dishing it right back out to an open shooter or cutter. All of this makes him, in my opinion, the most underrated pickup of the off season. And by the time the season’s in full swing, don’t be surprised if Cornet ends up being the steel of the summer. There’s a lot more to his game than meets the eye, and Spurs fans are going to love what he brings. It’s going to be exciting to see how the coaching staff unlocks his full potential next season. Before we head out, let me know how you would grade this acquisition for the Spurs and also which player you would like me to break down next. Drop your thoughts in the comments. But until then, as always, thanks for tuning in. I appreciate all your support and I can’t wait to break down more film with you next time. Here’s Tade on a deep three off Corn with the mammoth hammer.

The Spurs May Have Just Stolen The Most Overlooked Player Of The Offseason!

What’s in today’s video?

Timestamps :
0:00 – Intro
0:28 – Kornet’s Impressive Rim Protection Numbers
2:01 – How Kornet Defends Smaller Players With Surprising Agility
6:42 – How Kornet Became One Of The Most Efficient Roll Men In The NBA
8:18 – Kornet’s Underrated Playmaking Skills & High Basketball IQ

Luke Kornet might be the most overlooked free agent pickup of the entire offseason — but his impact on both ends of the floor could be game-changing for the San Antonio Spurs. Coming off the best season of his career, Kornet quietly posted personal bests in points and assists while ranking top ten league-wide in rim protection — ahead of stars like Anthony Davis, Evan Mobley, and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Yet despite his elite defensive numbers and mobility for a seven-footer, Kornet signed for just $10 million per year and remains widely underrated. What happens when you pair him with Victor Wembanyama — forming a twin-tower duo that patrols the paint for 48 straight minutes? Could the Spurs become a top-three rim-protecting team next season?

In this breakdown, we’ll take a closer look at how Kornet’s shot-blocking instincts, mobility, and basketball IQ make him a seamless fit in San Antonio’s system. We’ll explore his impact in transition, his efficiency as a roll man, and his sneaky-good playmaking ability — all of which give the Spurs new dimensions on both ends of the floor.

With Kornet anchoring the second unit — or even sharing the court with Wemby — the Spurs’ interior defense is poised to take a massive leap. Could Kornet be the steal of the summer? Let’s dive in.

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Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.

KEYWORDS :
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