The Boston Celtics lost Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet this offseason, and replaced them with only the addition of Luka Garza. If you are unfamiliar, Garza is mostly known for being the College Player of the Year in 2021. He has never played more than 12.2 minutes per game in his four-year NBA career. Signing him as the lone replacement is laughably bad and leaves the Celtics without a starter or depth at the position.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla’s three options are Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman Sr., and Garza. They played a combined 1,313 minutes last season. Boston has to fill 3,936 at the five and doesn’t have a player who has averaged more than 20 minutes per game in a season. It is not like these are rookies. All three are 26 years old with at least four years of experience in the NBA.
The Celtics had to trim salary this offseason, so they dumped several veterans. Kristaps Porzingis is already making Boston regret their decision. It will only get worse as Mazzulla attempts to patch together a center rotation with three less-than-stellar options.
The Celtics' center rotation is the worst in the NBA
Even rebuilding teams like the Jazz and Nets have a locked-in starting center. Other bottom feeders are addressing that need with young talent they hope will blossom. The Celtics have neither. They have three prime veterans who have never been considered starting options. Queta and Tillman Sr. struggled to get minutes on the Celtics last season.
The Hornets are the only team even close to as bad as the Celtics at center, but at least Charlotte is trying to develop Ryan Kalkbrenner. The early second-round draft pick showed flashes in summer league and could blossom into a starter in time. ‘
Boston hopes Garza can be a stretch five that takes over. He was behind Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid in Minnesota. The 6’10 big man dominated the G League in 2023, but there are questions about how his game will translate in the NBA. Thinking he will suddenly be a breakout difference-maker is foolish. The Timberwolves would have found or opened up minutes for him if he were at that level.
Rim protection and defense at the five will be serious problems for the Celtics. They will mix and match, including going small for stretches. Do not expect them to be better than middle of the pack defensively. Boston will have to win shootouts if they want to make the postseason.
This is a gap year for the Celtics. Jayson Tatum will miss the entire campaign recovering from a torn Achilles, so Brad Stevens pared down their roster. Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard give Boston a shot to make the playoffs, but they won’t be serious contenders, especially with the worst center rotation in the NBA.
The Boston Celtics will return to contention in the 2026-27 season. Expect Stevens to revamp the roster and upgrade at the five before Tatum returns. This is a season to get under the second apron and reset their books. It will be all systems go when their superstar is healthy.