Luka Garza has emerged as a legitimately impactful member of the Boston Celtics’ rotation. Heading into the season, there were serious concerns regarding Boston’s center rotation. Yet with the leap Neemias Queta has taken, combined with Garza’s recent play, those concerns have been settled (at least, for the time being).
For three years, Garza wasted away with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was never able to crack their rotation. Yet within his first 26 games as a Celtic, Garza has proven that he belongs at the NBA level. It’s a realization that the Timberwolves failed to make, and one that Boston has been glad to figure out.
Because Garza has been at the forefront of their surge up the Eastern Conference standings.
Celtics have gotten the most out of Luka Garza
From the start of the season through November 26, Garza appeared in 16 games, playing 14.4 minutes per contest. He played fairly well, but his minutes were inconsistent.
After that, Garza was glued to the bench for a while. From November 29 to December 19, Garza only appeared in three of nine games, and he didn’t play 10 minutes in any of the three.
But on December 20, when the Celtics traveled north for a game against the Toronto Raptors, Joe Mazzulla threw Garza back into the lineup. That decision paid dividends.
Garza snagged nine offensive rebounds against the Raptors, propelling himself back into the Celtics’ lineup. From then until now, Garza has appeared in all six of Boston’s games.
In those six games, he’s played 22.0 minutes per contest. He’s averaging 10.7 points, 5.9 rebounds (including 3.7 offensive rebounds), and 1.7 assists while shooting 67.6% from the field and 54.5% from deep range on 1.6 three-point attempts per game.
Garza is also a +98 over the course of those six games, in which Boston has gone an impressive 6-1.
Mazzulla and the Celtics have found a way to maximize what Garza can bring to the table. He’s playing legitimate backup center minutes for one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
That’s a puzzle the Wolves were never able to solve. He never managed to crack their rotation, as Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid were always ahead of him.
Had Minnesota managed to find the best way to utilize Garza, perhaps he could have given them some solid relief minutes behind its other big man.
Instead, he’s found a new home in Boston, and they’re getting more out of Garza than the Wolves ever could.