Managing Wembanyama's Minutes Might Be Tougher if Kornet Can't Play Game 5 for Spurs

Mitch Johnson said after the Game 4 collapse against the Knicks that he could have done a better job resting Victor Wembanyama who played 44 minutes, and with Luke Kornet questionable, the rookie head coach might lean on rookie wing Carter Bryant to play some small-ball center.

Dec 25, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) and center Luke Kornet (7) celebrate at the end of the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

SAN ANTONIO -- Victor Wembanyama only got four minutes of rest in the Spurs' devastating Game 4 loss in New York, and managing his minutes might get even tougher if his backup center can't play.

Luke Kornet is listed as questionable with an illness ahead of the do-or-die Game 5 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio, the Spurs not providing any more details than that. Surviving the non-Wemby minutes has been a focal point all playoffs, and while Kornet has struggled at times, he's come up huge in some critical moments to help this young team hold on to the rope with their superstar catching a breather.

Kornet is one of the few members of this Spurs' rotation with a championship ring on his finger. He swung and maybe even saved Game 7 in Oklahoma City with a chasedown block in the fourth quarter, one of the most impactful six-minute games ever.

His six minutes to close out the Western Conference Finals was the least he'd played in a game all season, until he played just four in Game 4 in New York. Kornet finished with three fouls, a steal, and no rebounds or points in those minutes. He played 58 seconds in the middle of the third quarter, and that was that for the second half as Wembanyama played the final 16:35 of the game.

Jun 10, 2026; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts during the fourth quarter of game four of the 2026 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

At one point the Spurs led by as much as 29 points, and plenty went wrong as they gave up the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history. The failure to get Wembanyama a little bit more rest in a game that San Antonio controlled is definitely something that hurt their chances.

"We've had that discussion throughout the season of his buildup of minutes," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said at practice on Friday. "He's played heavy minutes at times through the games. All minutes aren't created equal. Some quarters are slow, reviews, timeouts, a game can get going like that... at the time I didn't feel any need, but looking back on it, I do believe that I have to make sure that I help him have the energy required to finish the game as strong as he needs to finish the game."

Johnson has spoken throughout the season about how he'd rather sacrifice the length of a player's stint instead of the intensity, but there's a push and pull in the playoffs where you want your best players on the floor as much as possible. He admitted that he got the balance wrong in this one.

"Looking back on the game, I think I could have done better in that regard," he said. "That's not meaning he's going to play this many minutes tomorrow. It's looking back on the game, and that game in itself, I got to make sure that I help with that. I think I could have been better in that regard looking back from that game."

Jun 5, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) talks with head coach Mitch Johnson during the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks during game two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Even if Kornet is good enough to go in this game, the Knicks' talent and personnel make it a difficult matchup for the traditional center. New York moves the ball well, and their starting center Karl-Anthony Towns pulls opposing rim protectors out of the paint with his shooting ability.

The Spurs have several experienced, break-glass-in-case-of-emergency centers, but if Johnson gives meaningful minutes to any of Bismack Biyombo, Kelly Olynyk, or Mason Plumlee, it will be the first time he's done that all season.

It seems more likely that if Kornet can't go, Johnson will fill the non-Wemby minutes at center with a 6-foot-7 rookie. Carter Bryant has functioned as a defensive wildcard off the bench for the Spurs in this playoff run, and down the stretch of the regular season Johnson gave him a decent amount of run as a small-ball five.

"I’m playing games guarding behemoths of human beings," Bryant said at the time. "Robert Williams is massive. Donovan Clingan is massive ... (Nikola) Jokić … Rudy Gobert. I’m like, 'Yo, these dudes are huge.'"

What Bryant gives up in height in these matchups, he makes up for with strength, skill, and tenacity. He unlocks everything a coach hopes that a small-ball center would. Bryant's defensive versatility as a small center could help the Spurs blow up some of New York's most dangerous actions offensively. If he's matched up on KAT, it means San Antonio can switch any screen he sets for Jalen Brunson.

Jun 10, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) controls the ball against San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant (11) in the second quarter during game four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Bryant shot 33.5% from deep this regular season and 41.4% in the playoffs, spacing the floor and allowing the Spurs to play 5-out on offense.

"Mitch told me about five times (that) if I’m open, shoot the ball," Bryant said eariler in the year. "And all my teammates, when I catch the ball, they’re empowering me to shoot. If my teammates have faith in me, there’s no reason not to shoot it."

Bryant wants to be a top-level defender in this league, and over the course of the playoffs he's been used as a physical spark plug off the bench. Johnson threw him at Anthony Edwards in the second round and two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the Conference Finals. The rookie got a bit jumpy around the crafty, foul-drawing SGA, and got visibly chewed out by his coach.

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"Carter has been as coachable as anybody," Johnson said a few days later. "At times, he probably is trying to do the right thing too much, and I think that's where, at times, the urgency and the competitive competitiveness of myself comes out because I just want that kid to play fast and aggressive."

Johnson wants his whole team to play fast and aggressive, and Bryant may give him the best chance to both keep Wembanyama as fresh as possible and play the intense brand of basketball that got the Spurs here even when their best player is off the floor.

This is the biggest game of the year, and indeed the biggest game yet for almost every single person on this team, from Johnson and Wembanyama all the way down to Bryant. The 20-year-old rookie seems to know exactly what's expected of him.

“If I’m rebounding the basketball well, or getting hands on offensive rebounds, getting us multiple possessions, I can impact the game even if I’m not scoring," Bryant said earlier in this run.