Spurs fans have zeroed in on Luke Kornet lately, and the noise around his play has only gotten louder. But after Wednesday’s overtime win in Utah, Mitch Johnson made it clear he’s not pinning the bench’s problems on one big man.
Instead, the Spurs coach pointed the finger at the group around him. “The four guys that are out there with Luke need to be better.”
That was Johnson’s message, and it’s a fair one. Kornet is getting compared to the freakishly athletic starter he backs up, but the issue isn’t just what happens at center.
It’s how the entire group functions when those lineups are on the floor.
Keldon Johnson backed that up, saying defense requires all five players and that the bench has to sharpen its shifts before anyone expects Luke to carry everything. Victor Wembanyama took the same line, calling it a system no matter who is out there and brushing aside the comparisons between him and Kornet.
Still, the bigger issue with the second unit may be the absence of Dylan Harper.
Last season, Harper was the engine for those bench groups. He ran the second units, and his production helped keep the bench minutes afloat.
Just as important, his rim pressure opened things up for Kornet. The two fit together well.
Now Harper is starting, and those staggered minutes don’t look the same. Everyone is adjusting, and the bench has not fully settled in.
The starting group has shown signs of traction. Through five games, the starting five is +9.4 overall.
So there’s room to believe the bench can improve too. But the truth is, Harper off the bench still feels like the best setup for the team - and maybe the best one for him as well.
Starting has boosted Harper’s scoring, but not the rest of his game. He’s up from 11.8 points per game to 17.2, yet the overall profile doesn’t scream progress.
His efficiency and advanced metrics are down across the board, with free throws the lone exception. That number has jumped from 75.6% to 92.3%.
2025-26: 50.5% FG, 34.3% 3PT, 57.4% TS, 16.2 PER, 1.4 BPM, 1.3 VORP, 4.2 WS
2026-27: 45.9% FG, 33.3% 3PT, 53.9% TS, 15.9 PER, -0.1 BPM, 0.1 VORP, 0.4 WS
(All stats via BasketballReference.com)
The simplest version of the argument is that Harper was more dangerous when he could come in and attack with freedom. He owned that role. Now, he can find himself starting possessions in the corner or drifting on the perimeter while Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Devin Vassell get theirs.
That’s a tough place for a player built like a burst-and-burst type of scorer. It can drag the rhythm out of his game.
Johnson could move him back to the bench and make the whole thing easier. Or he can keep letting him work through the rough edges in the starting five and hope there’s something better waiting on the other side.
For now, though, a lot of the mess still lands on Kornet, because backing up Victor Wembanyama makes you an easy target. He’s not blameless - it would help if he chipped in more rebounds and finished a few hook shots - but he’s not the whole story either. That’s where the fair read lives: Luke can do more, but plenty of this goes beyond him.
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Spurs Have A Real Opening In The West But One Big Test Remains
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Still, the Spurs are dealing with their own reality, and it is not one built on easy assumptions. Their starting lineup has changed, and any real surge in the West will have to come from figuring out how this group fits together in the moment, not just from what happens elsewhere. The opening is there, but whether San Antonio can take advantage of it is the part that still needs to be proven. [Read more 🡒]