Celtics' frustrating center problem working itself out for now at least

When you take a look around the Eastern Conference and see that the Knicks, Pistons, and Cavaliers are all having their struggles in round one, it’s hard to nitpick too much with the Celtics, who annihilated the 76ers on Sunday night to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round series.

But there has been one consistent question mark with the Celtics all season, and it has poked its head up during this series: the center position. Neemias Queta was great during the regular season, emerging as a rock-solid starter. Luka Garza proved to be a reliable backup, and Nikola Vucevic came over from Chicago at the deadline to fortify the spot.

Unfortunately, though, the playoffs are a different beast, and Boston has been exposed a bit. Queta has struggled to stay out of foul trouble and has been unreliable with the ball. Vucevic has gotten lit up on the defensive end, and Garza has basically been relegated to an emergency role.

On Sunday night in Game 4, we saw a lot of improvement across the board, but things are still a little shaky. Neemy looked a lot better and made an impact while he was out there, but again, he quickly got in foul trouble, which made it hard to find a rhythm. Vooch was solid and oddly benefited from having Joel Embiid out there, a mostly stationary player at this point. 

And due to the foul trouble, Garza got some extended run, where he made a three-pointer and brought some energy. None of it was great, but the end result of the trio combined was solid and proved to be more than enough for the Celtics to come away with a crushing 128-96 victory.

Celtics centers will be tested as playoffs go on

None of the three even reached 20 minutes in Game 4, but as a group, they put up 19 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists, with each one having a double-digit net rating. It’s not conventional, but it got the job done, and that’s even with Philly getting their former-MVP big man, Embiid, back in the lineup.

Joe Mazzulla is going to have to continue pressing the right buttons, but maybe, as much as we are waiting for someone to emerge, the answer is something more like this. Giving each of the three centers short stints seemed to get the best out of all three. There will be certain games where one guy gets hot, or there’s an ideal matchup, but shuffling through all three may be the best option.

In an ideal world, Neemy is able to stay out of foul trouble and can anchor the defense and throw down lobs like he has all season, but at this point, it’s tough to rely on that. Maybe calling it a ‘problem’ is hyperbole, but it’s certainly at least something to watch, and you can be sure the rest of the East is doing just that.

It’s hard to poke holes or find shortcomings with this team, so any perceived weakness is going to be attacked, and the opponents are only going to get better. For now, it’s a day-by-day process, and as long as Joe can keep managing the situation, it may be tenable for an extended playoff run.

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