A good taste of "French vanilla" in Spurs

Victor Vembanyama - Luke Cornet

In San Antonio, the association Luke Cornet with a local star Victor Vembanyama there is a lot of talk about it. So much so that Texas fans found a nickname for this association in the Spurs racket: “French Vanilla”.

« I have to say: five stars for ‘French Vanilla’. Not bad at all! », smiles at the arrival of the Celtics this summer. When the Spurs signed Cornet from Boston in the offseason, the main idea was to keep these “flavors” separate according to the San Antonio Express-News.

The undrafted player was previously earmarked for the baton behind the Frenchman. However, during the preseason, Mitch Johnson was tempted by the idea of combining two men – “The French” and “Vanilla” – and quickly realized the benefit of it.

« There was always the idea of Victor playing with another bigger player last year. We just didn’t have that option very often. We thought Luke would be a good option for this », the Texas Tech defensive end whose local star has been linked to Zach Collins in the past, was finally sent to Chicago last season to promotethe arrival of De’Aaron Fox.

Finding the right mix on both sides of the pitch

For general manager Brian Wright, adding size behind Vembanyama has been a priority this offseason. With Cornet, the Spurs have recruited an imposing player who can play alongside him at times. During his time with the Celtics, Cornett sometimes shared the court with another league giant, Kristaps Porzingis. With the Spurs, he says he can, for example, be more aggressive when defending away from the rim, counting on the help of the NBA’s two-time best blocker.

« Having two rim protectors can give you a lot of versatility to make things difficult for teams. It should be fun trying to figure out how to best work together on offense “, notes Cornet who, unlike “Wembey”, has tended to stay in the attacking camp in recent seasons.

« It’s been great so far, whether in training or in games, playing with him. I can’t wait to spend time on the field with him », also appreciates the Frenchman, whose new racket partner had a very good preseason (12.6 points with 79.3% shooting and 6.8 rebounds).

« We will continue to understand some of the benefits that this group can provide. It will still take time “, concludes their coach, visibly fond of the idea of drinking another dose of “French vanilla”.

Luke Cornet				Percentage			Rebounds
Saison	The team	MJ	Min	Shots	3pts	LF	Off	Def	That	Pd	Ft	Int	Bp	Ct	Pts
2017-18	NOW	20	16	39.2	35.4	72.7	0.6	2.6	3.2	1.3	1.4	0.3	0.6	0.8	6.7
2018-19	NOW	46	17	37.8	36.3	82.6	0.6	2.3	2.9	1.2	0.9	0.6	0.5	0.9	7.0
2019-20	CHI	36	16	43.9	28.7	71.4	0.6	1.7	2.3	0.9	1.5	0.3	0.4	0.7	6.0
2020-21 *	All teams	31	11	43.6	25.4	50.0	0.5	1.7	2.2	0.8	0.6	0.1	0.2	1.0	3.4
2020-21 *	BOS	18	14	47.3	25.0	50.0	0.7	2.2	2.9	1.1	1.1	0.1	0.3	1.4	4.4
2020-21 *	CHI	13	7	33.3	26.1	50.0	0.1	1.1	1.2	0.3	0.1	0.2	0.1	0.5	2.0
2021-22 *	All teams	15	7	48.1	0.0	66.7	0.9	1.1	1.9	0.6	0.6	0.2	0.0	0.2	2.0
2021-22 *	BOS	12	7	57.1	0.0	66.7	0.8	1.2	2.1	0.7	0.6	0.2	0.0	0.2	2.2
2021-22 *	CLE	2	7	20.0	0.0	66.7	1.0	0.5	1.5	0.5	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.5	2.0
2021-22 *	MIL	1	3	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2022-23	BOS	69	12	66.5	23.1	82.1	1.2	1.6	2.9	0.8	1.2	0.2	0.4	0.7	3.8
2023-24	BOS	63	16	70.0	100.0	90.7	1.9	2.3	4.1	1.1	1.2	0.4	0.3	1.0	5.3
2024-25	BOS	73	19	66.8	0.0	69.1	2.6	2.7	5.3	1.6	1.6	0.5	0.4	1.0	6.0

How to read statistics? MJ = matches played; Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive jump; Tot = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; Points = Points.

2025-10-19 12:49:00