Celtics Starting Center Battle: Queta, Boucher, or Garza? (2025)

The Boston Celtics will have a battle for their starting center this fall. Neemias Queta, Luka Garza and Chris Boucher are all contenders for the position.

Mass Live Celtics writer Brian Robb on Friday laid out in his mailbag what he thinks the big man rotation will be.

“My bet would be on Queta as a starter, with Boucher and Garza getting regular minutes,” Robb wrote. “Beyond that, it’s going to depend on how Mazzulla wants to play. If he leans smaller (playing Jaylen Brown at power forward plenty), then that may be all the bigs we see. I think we will see some double bigs during games with Boucher at power forward since he can still spread the floor from that spot.”

Queta is a four-year NBA veteran who spent his first two seasons with the Sacramento Kings before signing with the Celtics in April 2024.

Queta has started only six games in his NBA career, all of which occurred last season. He also averaged just 12.2 minutes per game, a number that is likely to increase if he becomes the starting center.

Whoever starts at center between Queta, Boucher and Garza will have big shoes to fill, replacing Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis, who held down the position the last two years.