Celtics have reportedly settled a pressing debate entering next season

Who will start at center for the Boston Celtics next season? It's a question the incumbent, Neemias Queta, got asked about at Summer League.

"Joe's [Mazzulla] the boss," said Queta while in Las Vegas. "He figures that out. I put the ball in the basket, and I try to not [let] the [other team score]."

While the seven-footer from Portugal understands that his job is to make the most of whatever the decision is, it appears like he'll enter the 2026-27 campaign in the first unit.

According to Keith Smith of Spotrac, when it comes to free-agent addition Mitchell Robinson, "the plan is for him to come off the bench for now."

Why the Celtics should bring Mitchell Robinson off the bench

The incentive for Boston to insert its prized offseason acquisition into the starting lineup stems from his struggles at the free-throw line. Mazzulla knows first-hand about employing the "hack-a-Mitch" strategy.

It's easier to send Robinson to the charity stripe, and perhaps back to the bench, if he's entering later in a frame. Naturally, the odds of the Celtics being closer to the bonus, forcing him to the line, increase the deeper it gets into the period.

There's a compelling case that having the former New York Knick on the floor at the start of quarters is the way to get the most from him. However, keep in mind that after Karl-Anthony Towns arrived in Gotham, Robinson almost exclusively came off the bench.

That worked out well enough for him to help the Knicks end a 53-year championship drought and land a three-year, $47.4 million contract from Boston.

The eight-year veteran has proven he can take that role in stride. And his new team can always pivot if need be. But to maximize Robinson and Queta, opening the year with the latter in the first unit makes more sense from this vantage point.

Why the Celtics should start Neemias Queta

The 27-year-old center is coming off a breakout campaign in which he evolved from previously being fourth on the depth chart into a top-10 player at his position during the regular season.

That earned him a lucrative, four-year, $56 million contract extension. It fulfills a dream for Queta as he begins to author the next chapter of his career.

"It's been a long time [that] I've been wishing for something like that to happen, and to come down in this moment is really special, and I couldn't be happier to be in Boston for much more time. It's my home, so I'm excited for the future," he said while with the Sin City C's. It was a visit that included a workout at the Thomas & Mack Center with Jayson Tatum.

Queta started in 75 of the 76 regular-season contests he appeared in last season. He then came off the bench in Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The fifth-year center responded to that by shaking off his foul-trouble-induced struggles to have what was easily his best game of the series. He finished with 17 points, the third-most on his team. He also snagged 12 rebounds. That tied Joel Embiid for the most in the matchup.

It's a testament to the maturity and mental toughness of an individual who can absolutely handle shifting to the second unit.

There just isn't a need to go into the year with him second on the depth chart. Rather than forcing Queta to handle that adjustment, which could be taken as a demotion, after having a career year and signing a contract extension, see what it looks like with him holding onto his starting job.

Coming off the bench has worked for Robinson. Queta is hungry to build off last season's leap. If the results suggest it's better to make a change, then do so. However, let the process play out before throwing this the latter's way.

That approach could get the most out of both players. And if the Celtics make a switch in who starts down the road, it would be easier to accept for someone entering his prime with momentum from last season and a contract extension on his side.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow