The Celtics are heading into training camp with a new look, and one of the biggest questions already sitting on the table is what to do at center.
Mitchell Robinson is in the mix now, and his arrival fills a clear need for Boston. He joins Neemias Queta, who is coming off a breakout season, and together the two give the Celtics their most reliable center rotation in a long time. Both players bring a similar package to the floor - screening, rolling, and finishing around the rim - so the offense shouldn’t have to change much depending on which one is out there.
That overlap is exactly what makes the starting job such a tricky call.
Queta didn’t sound interested in making it into a battle. Speaking at a community event this past weekend, he brushed off the question of who opens games and who comes off the bench.
“That’s a Joe [Mazzulla] thing to figure out,” Queta said, via the Boston Globe. “I’m just out there welcoming my new teammates with open arms.
Mitchell is going to be a great addition for us. I’m extremely happy that I don’t have to go against him any more because he used to get all these rebounds, so it’s going to be good to have him on our side.”
There’s a real case for Robinson to get the nod. The biggest reason is simple: free throws. Starting him would help Boston avoid the intentional fouling tactic Joe Mazzulla leaned on against the New York Knicks when Robinson was hurting the Celtics.
Robinson also brings a different kind of pop. He looks more athletic than Queta, and that could matter next to Jayson Tatum, especially in pick-and-roll situations where Tatum gets an extra beat or two to decide whether to shoot or move the ball.
Queta has his own strong argument. He already knows the group, and that matters when Boston is trying to open the season without too many moving parts.
Starting him would make for a cleaner transition instead of asking the Celtics to sort out Robinson and Paul George at the same time. And Queta has done enough to earn a bigger role, which often comes with a spot in the first five.
Of course, Mazzulla has never seemed all that attached to the idea that starting is the real prize. He tends to care more about which combinations actually work.
Even if Queta doesn’t start, he could still wind up with more minutes than Robinson and finish games. And there’s also the practical reality that Queta may end up starting about half the time anyway, since Robinson will sit back-to-backs and miss time with injuries.
So the debate can go in circles pretty fast. Picking the starter may feel a little like Vizzini trying to figure out which cup is poisoned with iocane powder.
Eventually, the Celtics still have to choose one. The only thing left is hoping Mazzulla picks the one that leads to the better outcome.
In Other News...
Celtics New Uniforms Hint At A Bigger Reset Before Camp
The Celtics are heading into training camp with more than a few fresh faces, and the new uniforms only add to the sense that Boston is stepping into a different version of itself. With Paul George, Mike Conley and Mitchell Robinson joining the mix for the 2026-27 season, the team is making a clear effort to reshape the roster around a new look, on and off the floor.
Camp opens Sept. 28, and that will be the first real chance for Joe Mazzulla to sort through the lineup questions that come with a roster this altered. Roles will have to be defined quickly, chemistry will have to be built even faster, and the Celtics will be trying to make sure this reset feels like the start of something more than just a cosmetic change. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics May See A Familiar Opportunity In One Risky Roster Bet
The Celtics have built a useful part of their recent roster story around finding value where other teams let it slip away, and Devin Carter now fits that mold. After being waived by Atlanta, Carter has emerged as a reported target for Boston as a free agent, with the appeal obvious for a team that has made a habit of taking low-cost chances on players whose best days may still be ahead of them.
Boston has seen this kind of path work before, from Ron Harper Jr. turning a two-way opening into a standard contract and then a longer commitment, to players like Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta carving out real roles after entering the organization as under-the-radar additions. Carter would be another swing in that same lane, and the Celtics will have to decide whether this is the sort of bet worth making at a time when every roster spot carries real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Kara Lawsons Celtics Tenure Still Shows Brad Stevens Impact
Kara Lawsons time around Brad Stevens in Boston still comes up as a kind of coaching touchstone, and for good reason. In a recent appearance on Jason Garretts podcast, Lawson talked about how Stevens led with a steady respect for people and how that influenced the way she approaches her own teams now. The former Celtics assistant, who is now leading Dukes womens program, has carried those lessons into a style built around camaraderie, empowerment and trust.
The results have followed at Duke, where Lawson has helped the Blue Devils win back-to-back ACC Tournament titles and earned ACC Coach of the Year honors along the way. For Celtics fans, it is another reminder of how Stevens imprint extended beyond Xs and Os, shaping coaches who took pieces of his approach and made them their own. Lawsons success also raises the familiar question around any Brad Stevens coaching tree: just how far those lessons can keep spreading. [Read more 🡒]