This team needs someone better for a 3rd big.
Sure, that would be nice. Find a good, up and coming young big who can be part of the core rotation, even in the playoffs. Of course that would be nice. But this isn't a zero sum thing. Accepting that a good 3rd big would make us better does not mean that Kornet is not a serviceable bench big that brings a level of value to the team.
He can do just what he did this game. Step in and play well enough to help the team win. It isn't always going to be pretty, but he understands his role. And this isn't just a one game thing, he did it through 69 games last season.
I agree Kornet gets too much unwarranted hate. He’s an end of bench big. He isn’t perfect but he’s not as bad as people say he is. The reality is for what he gets paid and what he provides, he is adequate. This team cannot have another borderline all star level big off the bench because quite frankly they don’t have enough minutes. This team has a bigger need at swing/big wing than at big man imo. I think that is the priority with the TPE.
He's a good 3rd big, the problem is if he ever has to be the 1st big cause others are out. But in certain cases we need a Big that can play good defense on other really good bigs. Like Aaron Baynes type.
This feels a little academic to me, but maybe it's worth pointing out that Kornet is really only the 'third big' if you consider the best lineup for the Celtics to be the most common lineup thus far:
J. Holiday - K. Porzingis - J. Brown - J. Tatum - D. White
with Horford as the first big off the bench.
A lot of posters, I suspect, see a more optimal lineup in our second most common lineup:
A. Horford - J. Holiday - K. Porzingis - J. Brown - J. Tatum
in which case Kornet is the first big off the bench, and he's a big step down from Al.