Luka Garza's career is defined by resilience and competitive character. To help his team and maximize his talent, he pours everything he has into every opportunity.
Now, there's a new fight in front of him.
The former National Player of the Year at Iowa finds himself on a depth chart with Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson. The former was a top-10 center last regular season. The latter helped the New York Knicks end their 53-year championship drought. When both are in the lineup, minutes will be hard to come by.
But what Garza proved in the previous campaign is that, as painful as it can be when playing time is scarce or he's out of the rotation, the Celtics know that the next time they call his number, he'll be ready to deliver. That's at the heart of Joe Mazzulla's message to him this summer.
Why Joe Mazzulla has the ultimate trust in Luka Garza
The 27-year-old from the nation's capital has gone from a second-round pick to being out of the NBA, returning on an Exhibit 10 deal, and breaking through in Boston last season.
He finally got the opportunity to prove that he belongs on basketball's premier stage. His dependability became a calling card. The six-foot-10 center injected energy, created second-chance opportunities, knocked down 3s, and set great screens. He did it every time he got into a game.
Going from a season of validation to seeing the competition for playing time stiffen can't be easy to absorb. At training camp at the Auerbach Center on Monday, Mazzulla shared his offseason message to Garza as he tries to take another step forward in his career while navigating his new reality.
"You trust the guy because of his character and who he is," said Mazzulla. "The second thing is, he's used to fighting his whole life."
Boston's bench boss also noted that the season is unpredictable. You don't know what twists and turns it will take. Along the way, it has become more important than ever for a team to lean on its depth. Doing so has been crucial for the Celtics. It also helps to hear that message from someone who cares enough about the individuals he coaches to make trips like the one he took to spend time with Garza in Iowa this summer. Actions like that and staying engaged with someone when he isn't playing help maintain focus and a healthy mindset.
Luka Garza is a preseason standout for the Celtics
The five-year veteran has been a bright spot in Boston's first two exhibition contests.
He grabbed six offensive rebounds in 11 minutes during his team's 144-106 shellacking of the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night at TD Garden. No one else on either side had more than two. Garza paired his seven total rebounds with eight points on 4/8 shooting. He also registered a rejection and a steal.
Just as he helped the hosts gain a 19-7 edge in offensive rebounds and a 34-9 advantage in second-chance points, the former Minnesota Timberwolf was at the heart of Boston's domination on those margins against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Garza snagged 10 rebounds in the Celtics' preseason opener, including four that extended possessions. The latter matched Dillon Mitchell for a game-high. The visitors built a 21-6 advantage in offensive rebounds. They generated 27 second-chance points to Cleveland's eight. Their starting center that night also scored a game-high 22 points and blocked three shots in Boston's 124-113 win.
Garza is proud of the steps he took this summer, including while playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina at FIBA. That "kept his mind in the right place." The Celtics' first two preseason tilts highlighted that he's in excellent shape and has sharpened his game. He is ready to build on what he did last year. As has been a hallmark of Garza's career, the circumstances don't matter; he is poised to persevere.
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