The Celtics have a real choice to make at center next season, and it comes down to two names: Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson.
Boston brought Robinson in as a free agent, but Queta is the one who already knows the system. That matters.
He has spent the last three years in the Celtics’ setup, and his game has taken a step forward every season. If that trend keeps going, there’s a good chance he makes another jump next year.
Robinson brings more obvious impact when he’s on the floor - especially after what he showed in the playoffs this season - but familiarity gives Queta the cleaner case to open the year as the starter.
There’s also the durability issue, and that’s where Robinson’s case gets tricky. Over eight NBA seasons, he has played in 397 regular-season games out of a possible 656.
That puts him at about 60% availability. He has played more than 60 games in only half of his seasons.
When he’s out there, he matters. The problem is getting him out there consistently enough to count on him every night.
That’s why Boston could be better off keeping Robinson in a backup role and using him carefully. The Celtics have already shown they’re willing to manage key big men that way, as they did with Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis by sitting them on back-to-backs. If they handle Robinson similarly, Queta becomes the logical starter because he gives Boston stability at the top of the rotation.
None of that means Robinson won’t fit. His role with the Knicks wasn’t wildly different, so he should be able to adjust. But Queta has already proven he can operate in Boston’s system, and that edge counts.
The bigger picture for the Celtics still gives them something to work with. Robinson addresses their biggest weakness, and pairing him with Queta gives Boston a strong center duo. If one of them misses time, Luka Garza is there to soak up regular-season minutes.
Even after the disappointment of the trade, the Celtics still have a team worth watching. Paul George should fit well next to Jayson Tatum, and Boston still has the best version of Tatum as a player.
In Other News...
Celtics Fans May Feel Very Different About That Jaylen Brown Trade Now
When Boston moved Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia for Paul George and draft picks, it was the kind of deal that immediately invited second-guessing. Brown had been a centerpiece in Boston, and any swap built around an older star and future assets was always going to be judged by how the next few seasons played out rather than by the initial reaction alone.
Now the long view looks even more complicated for Celtics fans, because the leagues latest scrutiny around Kawhi Leonard has only added to the sense that star-player trades can turn on factors no one sees coming. Bostons return from Philadelphia includes a pick that could carry real weight down the line, and the value of any future asset in this kind of deal often depends on how quickly a contenders window shifts. [Read more 🡒]
Brad Stevens Somehow Changed The Red Sox Mood In Boston
The Celtics blockbuster move involving Jaylen Brown and Paul George landed at just about the same time the Red Sox started heating up, and in a city that lives and breathes its sports moods, the timing has been impossible to ignore. There is no real connection between the two, of course, but Boston has a long memory for coincidences that feel bigger than they are, especially when one teams headline seems to line up with anothers surge.
Since that trade, the Red Sox have kept winning, turning the kind of random overlap fans joke about into a small running story around town. The streak has stretched long enough to make the calendar feel like part of the narrative, with Bostons baseball team carrying the positive energy all the way to the break and leaving the kind of lingering question sports fans love to ask, even when they know better. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics May Be Seeing Dillon Mitchell Answer His Biggest Red Flag
Dillon Mitchell arrived in Boston with one obvious question hanging over his game, and Summer League has offered the Celtics at least a promising early answer. The second-round picks shooting was a concern after a rough three-point showing in college, but his jumper has looked smoother in Las Vegas, with Bostons coaching staff working alongside him to clean up the mechanics and give him a more reliable base to build on.
Mitchell has also played with more confidence, which matters just as much for a young wing trying to carve out a role. The Celtics have made his development a priority since the draft, and Mitchell has embraced the process, knowing the path forward is about repetition, comfort and proving the shot can hold up when the games get real. [Read more 🡒]