Luke Kornet Posts 2-Point Game 3 as Spurs Consider Rotation Shift
luke kornet had 2 points and 1 rebound in Game 3, and the San Antonio Spurs may trim his role after Minnesota attacked him for 7-for-10 in the paint. He finished minus-9 in 11 minutes, a line that puts pressure on Mitch Johnson as the series moves forward.
Luke Kornet vs Minnesota
That Game 3 showing was a problem for the Spurs’ backup center. Minnesota got to the paint against him repeatedly, and the Timberwolves were plus-20 on the offensive glass in the game, leaving San Antonio with a clear rotation question around Kornet’s minutes.
The Spurs still won Game 3, but the issue was not the final score. It was how Kornet looked when Minnesota forced him into action, after he had not delivered the same impact in the series that he had all season except for Game 2.
Mitch Johnson’s bench mix
Mitch Johnson has already used Keldon Johnson at the four in bench lineups against Naz Reid or Julius Randle. That option gives San Antonio a different look if the staff decides to move away from Kornet and lean more heavily on small-ball combinations.
The Spurs’ most common small-ball group includes two of De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Harper, along with Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Carter Bryant. If Victor Wembanyama plays 36 to 40 minutes a game, San Antonio would only need those smaller lineups for 8 to 12 minutes, which keeps the decision focused on a short stretch rather than a full-game overhaul.
Wembanyama and the minutes split
That is why Kornet’s Game 3 line carries more weight than the box score alone. San Antonio does not need a long stretch of backup-center production if Wembanyama is on the floor for that kind of workload, but it does need those limited minutes to hold up against Minnesota’s front line.
For Kornet, the task now is simple. He has to show enough in the minutes he gets to stay in the rotation, or Johnson has a shorter path to the small-ball groups the Spurs already trust.
