Luke

Kornet

Kornet was initially listed as questionable for this game, but he will be good to go. He’ll continue to fill out the backup center minutes behind Victor Wembanyama.

Kornet is dealing with a sore left foot, and a potential absence would affect the back end of the Spurs’ rotation. He averaged 13.8 minutes per game in the second round, which included a spike in playing time in Game 4 due to Victor Wembanyama’s second-quarter ejection. If Kornet can’t play on Monday, more minutes would become available to Carter Bryant.

After playing a total of 32 minutes in the first three games of the Spurs’ second-round series, Kornet was asked to play 26 minutes in Game 4. The reason was Victor Wembanyama’s second-quarter ejection after picking up a Flagrant 2 foul. Kornet held his own on the glass, but there were also times when the Spurs called on Carter Bryant (two points and one rebound in 12 minutes) as part of a center-less lineup. With Wembanyama back in the fold for Game 5 on Tuesday, Kornet’s minutes are going to decrease significantly.

Wembanyama threw an elbow while being fouled, striking Minnesota’s Naz Reid above the neck. After a video review, the Spurs star was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected. Wembanyama finished with four points (2-of-5 FGs), four rebounds and one assist. His absence means more minutes for Luke Kornet, and there may be periods when Carter Bryant plays the five as part of a smaller lineup. Assuming there’s no suspension for Wembanyama for Game 5, he’ll be fine to run out in playoff fantasy contests.

The Spurs will get back the NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Sunday following a one-game injury absence. Wembanyama has not taken the floor since exiting Game 2’s loss early after a scary fall to the floor. He’ll reclaim his starting spot from Luke Kornet as San Antonio looks to take a 3-1 series lead.

Injured during Game 2, Wembanyama remained in the league’s concussion protocol for Friday’s Game 3 victory in Portland. The good news is that he was on the bench with his teammates, and there’s now a chance that the MVP finalist returns on Sunday. If Wembanyama plays, Luke Kornet will head to the bench.

Wemby is in the concussion protocol, but his participation in Friday’s shootaround bodes well for his health. More information on his status should be available closer to tip-off. If Wembanyama is ultimately ruled out, Luke Kornet would presumably slot in as San Antonio’s starting center.

Wembanyama’s upgrade to questionable is an encouraging sign for the Defensive Player of the Year, who fell hard on his face in the Spurs’ Game 2 loss to the Blazers. If unable to play on Friday, Luke Kornet will likely be the starting center.

Wembanyama took a hard fall and landed on his face while diving for a loose ball in the first half of Game 2 against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday. The 22-year-old center headed to the locker room and entered the concussion protocol, according to a report from Charania. Wembanyama won’t return to Game 2 and if it’s determined that he suffered a concussion, he could miss more time in this series. Luke Kornet should see more minutes if that’s the case.

Wembanyama has been ruled out for the last game of the regular season with a rib injury. The Spurs are already locked into the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and Wembanyama has already played enough to qualify for awards. Luke Kornet should start and play plenty of minutes against the Nuggets on Sunday.