The assessments regarding the Chicago Bulls and their free agency approach are coming in. All told, nobody is giving them rousing pats on the back. However, the general belief is they managed to do a fairly solid job at improving their overall depth. With their starting lineup all but secured after the drafting of Coby White, they had to find a way to improve their situation on the bench.
This they did, headlined by the addition of veteran forward Thaddeus Young. Though not a star, he brings a nice skill set to the table including his strong presence as a defender and an ability to get points in the paint. Something the Bulls can always use more of. He’s joined by point guard Tomas Satoransky. He’d done a nice job as a reserve in Washington, showing a knack to handle the ball.
Amazing as it sounds, those two weren’t the names that had the attention of NBA analyst Kevin Pelton of ESPN. He took particular note of another addition the Bulls made. One that got little fanfare.
“According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Chicago also grabbed an interesting piece at center in Luke Kornet, who started 18 games last season for the Knicks. A 7-footer who shot 36% from 3-point range while firing up 8.9 per 36 minutes, Kornet also blocked shots at an above-average rate for a center.
Kornet can get pushed around in the paint, and he made just 41% of his 2-point tries last season. Still, according to NBA Advanced Stats, New York’s minus-3.5 net rating when Kornet played was best of any Knicks player who saw at least 500 minutes of action.”
Chicago Bulls have a rather unique specimen in Luke Kornet
How many centers does the NBA typically encounter that can shoot accurately from 3-point land? Not many. Kornet us one of those few. It may not be the prettiest stroke in the world but it gets in the basket. His long arms and size also make for a nice shot blocker they can put alongside Wendell Carter Jr., giving teams problems trying to score in the paint.
The question will be can Jim Boylen toughen him up? Kornet may block shots but his rebounding is bad. Just 4.9 per 36 minutes played a game. That is not good for a center who is 7’1. If the Bulls were somehow able to help him improve in that area, this could turn out to be a quality addition at a dirt cheap price. Boylen is a coach all about discipline. So one would think this is a challenge he’s up to.
