Thanks to Luke Kornet, the Celtics can give Kristaps Porzingis all the rest he needs down the stretch

BOSTON -- Kristaps Porzingis is set to miss his fourth straight game for the Celtics on Thursday night, as the Boston big man nurses a hamstring injury. It's also likely that the Celtics are continuing their super-cautious approach with Porzingis with the postseason quickly approaching. 

Fret not. The Celtics have more than enough depth to give Porzinigs whatever rest he needs down the stretch, thanks to Luke Kornet playing some stellar basketball in the Unicorn's absence.

Al Horford will likely start for Porzingis Thursday night when the C's welcome in the Phoenix Suns to TD Garden, and the veteran's ability to come off the bench or toss on a starter's cape is a big reason why Boston is 14-3 when Porzingis sits. But Kornet has had a hand in that success recently, and is primed for some solid minutes off the bench this evening. 

We've seen a lot of Kornet over the last three games, as he averaged 23 minutes per game in Boston's road wins over the Suns, the Blazers, and the Jazz. He's given the Celtics 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game over that stretch, and is coming off a 12-point, 9-rebound, 6-assist effort against the Jazz. Those six dimes matched his career high, and show how much Kornet was involved in Boston's offensive attack. 

His involvement isn't flashy, as it relies on Kornet setting screens and giving guys open looks at the top of the key. Five of his six assists against Utah were simple handoffs to 3-point shooters who got space because of the 7-footer. And when those guys turn his handoffs into a drive instead of a long-range shot, it's Kornet's job to roll to the rim with them. He gladly does all of that and any of the other dirty work that Joe Mazzulla tasks him with.

Kornet has made great strides mucking it up on the offensive glass, already pulling down a career-high 88 offensive boards in his 711 minutes. That surpasses the 86 offensive rebounds that he had last season over 93 additional minutes.  His 13.9 offensive rebounding percentage would be in the NBA's top three this season if Kornet had enough playing time to qualify.

With nine DNPs, a game where he didn't dress at all, and eight inactives (including a stretch in December where he didn't play for two weeks), Kornet's playing time has never been all that consistent. But he's consistently ready when his number is called. For the full season, Kornet is giving the Celtics 3.9 rebounds and a block per game, both of which are career highs for the reserve big man. He doesn't score much, but he makes the most of his opportunities by hitting 69.8 percent of his shots.

That is just what he's been doing on the offensive end. On defense, he clogs up the lane and does well against pick-and-rolls, though his impact usually depends on whoever he matches up against. But he allows Mazzulla to send out a double big lineup if he wants, which again, depends on the matchup for that evening.

(He's also pretty good at keeping things loose and entertaining in the locker room, whether by way of crashing postgame interviews or his unique answers to team-issued questions. In that way, he's a less-annoying Grant Williams.)

Kornet is not a star or a stud. He may not even be Boston's best option after Horford on the depth chart come the postseason, as Xavier Tillman gets more comfortable with his new team. But he's an extremely important depth piece at the moment, giving the Celtics a chance to keep Porzingis fresh for the playoffs.