Boston -- At media day at the Auerbach Center, Mitchell Robinson shared his thoughts on whether being the Boston Celtics' starting center matters to him.
Whether it's at a podium or a media scrum, players know what the right thing to say is. It's much easier to go that route. Joining a new team, the former New York Knicks center is even less inclined to make waves on his first day.
Voicing that he wants to be the starter probably wouldn't be well received by his new head coach, either. Even with that in mind, Robinson came off as candid.
His answer further points to why Joe Mazzulla should keep the incumbent, Neemias Queta, in that role.
"For me, it doesn't matter. I've started before; I came off the bench. Been up and down. That don't really bother me too much."
Why the Celtics should start Neemias Queta
Doing so creates less friction. It's much easier for the Lisbon, Portugal, native to start the season in the first unit and then move to the second if that's necessary.
Rather than introducing an unnecessary variable, let Robinson wreak havoc off the bench. He did so last season as a crucial cog in a New York Knicks team that ended a 53-year championship drought.
For his contributions to the Orange and Blue lifting the Larry O'Brien Trophy, the eight-year veteran earned a three-year, $47.4 million contract. He's unbothered and remains highly impactful in that role.
Whether Queta can handle it isn't the point. To get the most from him, they should keep him in the starting lineup. This author believes that will happen. It's a better approach than sending him to the second unit before seeing if that change was needed.
Hack-a-Robinson is also not a reason to demote Neemias Queta
As discussed previously, the Celtics will likely have to deal with this far less than the Knicks did. It won't be nearly as beneficial anymore.
Queta is at the heart of the reason for that. Opponents primarily wanted Robinson off the floor because he's the best offensive rebounder in the NBA since he entered it. He was also New York's rim-protecting center.
Now, the player who will typically sub in for him is also highly productive in those facets of the game. Among players who appeared in at least 60 contests and logged 19 minutes or more last season, Queta, like Robinson, ranked in the top 10 in offensive rebounds per matchup, per NBA.com.
He also finished in the top 10 in blocks per tilt among those who suited up at least 60 times and played 25 minutes or more per game. Queta averaged 1.3 rejections, which ranked ninth.
The payoff for getting Robinson off the floor for him doesn't exist.
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