The Celtics’ center group feels less like a clean depth chart and more like a rotating toolkit. Mitchell Robinson, Neemias Queta and Amari Williams all operate in a similar part of the floor, while Luka Garza brings a different kind of value altogether. That mix should shape how Boston handles the position this season.
Garza is the outlier, and not just because his game looks different from the others. He’s the team’s lone stretch-big, which gives Boston a simple choice when it wants five shooters on the floor: play him, or go small.
He earned his way into this spot, and the Celtics are going to need him because Robinson is expected to miss a fair amount of games. Even so, the outlines of Garza’s role are pretty clear.
He’ll crash the offensive glass, he’ll shoot threes, and that’s about the core of it. The biggest question is whether he can stay anywhere near the 43.3% he shot from deep this past season.
If he does, he becomes a useful change-of-pace option when Boston needs more spacing.
Robinson and Queta are the more natural comparison, but they’re not identical players. Robinson is the more explosive finisher around the basket and the better rebounder.
Queta, on the other hand, has grown into a better passer and offers more of an in-between game. The numbers tell the story of their shot profiles: 92% of Robinson’s offense comes within three feet of the rim, while Queta still lives near the basket at 55%, but also takes 39% of his shots from 3-10 feet.
“He has a good floater from, like, the 10-foot range,” Payton Pritchard said in January. “Especially if I drive lower, telling him to relocate to the top, kind of where the charge circle is, and being able to hit that.”
That Queta-Pritchard connection stood out last season, and it makes sense why Boston would want to keep leaning into it. Queta’s added touch in that short range can give the Celtics something different when they’re working in the middle of the floor.
The bigger question is how Boston should arrange its rotation. There’s an easy argument for simply rewarding Pritchard and Queta with starting roles, but the better basketball answer might be to use them together off the bench.
That’s not a statement about who is better. It’s about maximizing the lineup.
Robinson, in my view, should open games at center. One reason is practical: it takes away the intentional-fouling game because teams won’t be able to pile up enough team fouls to turn Robinson into a constant free-throw target. That may not be a nightly problem in the regular season, but it can become one when Boston is rolling and an opponent wants to disrupt the offense.
The other reason is fit. Robinson and Jayson Tatum make sense together because Robinson’s rim threat gives Tatum a split second more to decide whether to finish or throw the lob. Tatum also takes tougher shots, so having Robinson around for second chances matters.
Queta gives Boston more offensive variety. He has enough skill in the free-throw-line area to develop a little mid-range jumper, and that could make him useful in short-roll actions. Pairing him with Pritchard seems like the cleanest way to take advantage of what both do well.
Last season, the Celtics needed Queta to start, and he handled it well. Nothing here is a knock on him.
Boston can absolutely start him and be fine. I just think the Robinson option works better.
Queta’s new contract extension also changes the equation a bit; coming off the bench half the time isn’t some major issue, especially with Robinson’s missed games creating starts anyway.
Williams is harder to place in this picture. He’s still on a two-way contract, and he hasn’t yet shown enough consistent aggression to suggest he’s ready for regular NBA minutes.
There will be flashes, and maybe there’s a game where he has to play 30 minutes and looks terrific. But until he stops slowing down when he gets confused on the floor, the minutes won’t be there on a steady basis.
He does have things that make him worth watching. He turns 25 in January, so the timeline isn’t endless, but he can keep developing in the G League while this center rotation stays intact.
He’s shown some intriguing passing, and his athleticism gives him a chance to catch lobs and protect the rim. That probably won’t translate into much this season in Boston.
So the picture is pretty clear: Robinson and Queta should carry most of the load, Garza will get plenty of run while the Celtics manage Robinson’s minutes, and Williams remains more of a developmental piece for now. The Celtics should get solid center play from the group. The real question is how they choose to use it.
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