Over the past two seasons, the Boston Celtics rostered one of the most talented, versatile, and deep big man rotations in the NBA. That is, thanks to the second apron, no longer the case. The days of mixing and matching elite shooters with monster shot blockers at the five spot are behind the Celtics.
As it stands today, the Celtics project to start Neemias Queta, with recently signed free agent Luka Garza and veteran Xavier Tillman coming off the bench. Don’t fret: I haven’t forgotten the talented passing big man Amari Williams, who the Celtics selected with the 46th overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft. As excited as some Celtics fans are by the upside of Amari Williams, this big man rotation has the potential to single-handedly push the Celtics into the 2026 draft lottery — which I think is Brad Stevens’ goal.
Let’s start with an honest conversation about the big men on the Celtics roster. Neemias Queta should already be viewed as a developmental success for the Celtics front office. Anytime you can take a two-way player and turn them into a rotational player is a huge win. I have never been high on Queta, but he proved me wrong last season as he developed into a quality fourth big on an excellent team. He improved as an offensive rebounder while holding up in switches better than I thought was possible.
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And most importantly, Queta began to get a feel for how to process the game within Joe Mazzulla’s offensive system, which manifested in making the right reads in the short roll somewhat consistently. On the other hand, Queta still faced significant struggles defending in drop coverage, defensive rebounding, scoring the ball efficiently, and setting effective screens.
Unfortunately, the strides Queta made were relative to his status as a two-way player. While Queta’s ability to process the game has improved, he still does not process the game anywhere close to that of a quality starter. These micro-improvements will be quickly forgotten as he is thrust into a starting role for the Celtics. Neemias Queta soaking up the majority of the vacant 4,230 big man minutes that are available after the departure of Horford, Kornet, and Porzingis is the reason the Celtics might find themselves in the NBA draft lottery in 2026. This wouldn’t be the worst outcome for the Boston Celtics during this period of retooling.
Luka Garza. A college basketball god who just needs the opportunity to flourish in the NBA? Or, a college basketball god who joins a long list of college basketball gods whose skills and physical tools don’t translate to the NBA? I’m betting on the latter. Garza is a woeful defender, both in drop coverage and especially when asked to defend in space. Offensively, he’s billed as a stretch big, but he has shot 31% from three in his career. I don’t view Garza as someone who will be in the NBA for long, and I think that giving him a second guaranteed year on his contract was a mistake by Brad Stevens. Although, I will admit after watching some Luka Garza tape from his time in Minnesota, if I squint, I can see the vision for him as a fluid offensive player at the five spot. Garza has a good feel for the game and should fit Brad Stevens’ vision of building out a roster of players who can process the game at a high level. If Garza turns out to be an actual shooter instead of a theoretical shooter, he might have a career in the NBA as a rotational big man.
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Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
That brings us to Xavier Tillman. I don’t want to be too hard on Tillman, as I believe that his shortcomings last season had a lot to do with his inability to recover from knee surgery in the previous offseason. Unfortunately, we have no guarantee that Tillman will ever regain the limited athleticism he had initially. Tillman’s value was on the defensive end, and specifically his ability to switch onto perimeter players. Tillman could not switch effectively last season. If that switchability is gone, then I don’t think he has plus skills at the NBA level, given that he is a subpar rebounder and rim protector. On offense, due to his limited athleticism, Tillman struggles to finish around the rim effectively. After Tillman’s electric three-pointer in Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals, he went on to shoot 5/32 from three last season. One plus skill Tillman possesses is his passing ability as a center. The problem is that, without any scoring gravity, he is rarely allowed to showcase his passing skills.
The Celtics’ one hope in the big man room hails from the United Kingdom: Amari Williams, the 46th pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Any time you’re hoping the 46th pick in the draft could be the best player at a position going into a season, that tells you everything you need to know about that position group. That being said, I love Amari Williams. Electric passer, fantastic athlete, and a great rim protector in college. Why did he fall to the 46th pick in the draft if he can do all of that? Well, Amari struggled immensely with the semi-important skill of consistently putting the orange ball in the basket.
Now that we’ve covered that the Boston Celtics big man rotation could cause some problems next season, let’s stack them up with the rest of the league.
Tier 1 – Elite big man rotation – no explanation required as to why these groups are superior to the Celtics big man group
1) OKC Thunder – Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams
2) Denver Nuggets – Nikola Jokic, Jonas Valanciunas, DaRon Holmes II
3) Cleveland Cavaliers – Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Tristan Thompson
4) LA Clippers – Ivica Zubac, Brook Lopez, Trentyn Flowers
5) Houston Rockets – Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, Clint Capela
6) Dallas Mavericks – Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Derrick Lively
7) San Antonio Spurs – Victor Wembanyama, Luke Kornet, Kelly Olynyk, Bismack Biyambo
8) Minnesota Timberwolves – Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid, Joan Beringer
9) Memphis Grizzlies – Jaren Jackson Jr, Zach Edey, Jock Landale
Tier 2 – Solid big man rotation – Big men rotations that probably don’t need an explanation as to why they’re better than the Celtics group, but are getting a short one anyway
10) New York Knicks – Karl Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, Guerschon Yabusele
The Knicks group has its flaws; Towns and Yabu can struggle defensively, Robinson is primarily a lob threat on offense and can’t shoot free throws. However, this group is deep, explosive, and versatile.
11) Golden State Warriors – Draymond Green, Al Horford? Trayce Jackson Davis
Assuming Horford joins the Warriors, even in their advanced age, Draymond and Horford would form a potent two-way punch at the big man spot.
12) Atlanta Hawks – Onyeka Okongwu, Kristaps Porzingis, Mouhamed Gueye
Celtics fans might be familiar with this next sentence. If Kristaps Porzingis is healthy, the Hawks will have the firepower and versatility at the big man spot to compete with anyone. Okongu provides a lovely floor, even with KP’s health concerns
13) Miami Heat – Bam Adebayo, Kel’el Ware, Nikola Jovic
Bam Adebayo is still one of the league’s best defenders, and Kel’el Ware had an electric two-way rookie season. I still believe in Jovic.
14) Sacramento Kings – Damontis Sabonis, Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell
I’m not expecting much from Raynaud and Cardwell, but Sabonis is a monster on the offensive end. There are certainly questions on defense here, but he’s an All-NBA player for a reason.
15) Philadelphia 76ers – Joel Embiid, Adem Bona, Johni Broome
The Sixers could end up with the last or the first-ranked centre spot, depending on Joel Embiid’s health. So, I put them right in the middle. And don’t think I haven’t noticed Adem Bona has been cooking to start summer league.
Tier 3 – Below-average big man rotations and why they still clear the Celtics group
16) Detroi Pistons – Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, Paul Reed
The Detroit Pistons are on the rise. In large part due to their burgeoning young frontcourt pairing of Duren and Stewart. They aren’t perfect, but Duren is still so young and was able to hold his own in a fierce playoff series against the Knicks. While Stewart came on as a fantastic rim protector. Plus, Paul Reed is a nice spark plug third big. Reed is playing the role that Queta or Garza should be playing.
17) Orlando Magic – Wendell Carter, Goga Bitaze, Mo Wagner
This isn’t an inspiring group, but they get the job done and provide a variety of looks. Wendell Carter is their switch option who can stretch the floor a little bit, Goga is their rim-protecting lob threat, and Mo Wagner does a little bit of everything while simultaneously yelling at everyone.
18) Utah Jazz – Walker Kessler, Lauri Markkanen, Kyle Filipowski
Walker Kessler isn’t quite as good as some Celtics fans think he is. However, he is a fantastic rim protector while also excelling at finishing around the basket. Something I can’t say about the Celtics big men. Lauri, as a small ball five, is an explosive look to have in your back pocket. I’m not selling my Filipowski stock.
19) Milwaukee Bucks – Myles Turner, Jericho Simms, Giannis Antetokounmpo/Bobby Portis/Kyle Kuzma
Before the Myles Turner signing, the Bucks had a case for last on this list. Alas, we just saw Myles Turner start at centre for a finals team. Granted, if Turner had played up to expectations, the Pacers might be holding the Larry O’B. The Bucks also have a Giannis at the five look that they should lean on more often. Now, if we were ranking guard rotations, the Bucks might win the bottom spot.
20) Toronto Raptors – Jakob Poeltl, Colin Castleton, Jonathan Mogbo
Celtics fans should know Jakob Poetl still has it. After he pummeled the Celtics to the tune of 35 points and 12 rebounds last season. Poeltl is very good.
21) New York Nets – Nic Claxton, Day’Ron Sharpe, Danny Wolfe
Claxton can’t make free throws, but he’s still a great rim protector, which is more than we can say about the Celtics bigs. Sharpe is a nice backup with some upside, and Danny Wolfe projects as a solid rotation big in the NBA.
22) Portland Trail Blazers – Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams, Yang Hansen, Duop Reath
Clingan is a beast around the rim on both ends. He has issues guarding in space, but I expect him to have an excellent second season. Rob Williams will be awesome in the 27 games he plays. That’s all before we get to Yang Hansen, the modern-day Bill Walton. People forget that we had the Great Barrier Reath before Dyson Daniels usurped the nickname.
Tier 4 – Neemias Queta or these guys
23) Phoenix Suns – Mark Williams, Khaman Maluach, Nick Richards, Bol Bol
On paper, I considered moving the Suns up to tier three. However, the Hornets, who have their own big men problems, insisted on moving off both Mark Williams and Nick Richards. Not exactly a ringing endorsement. Maluach is a rookie, so I’m not expecting much from him this season, but I could see them moving up a tier next season due to his development. But at the end of the day, Mark Williams and Maluach would probably start for the Celtics this season.
24) LA Lakers – Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura
It’s hard to know who will be the most frustrated with DeAndre Ayton next season. JJ Reddick, Lebron James, and Luka Doncic are all good bets. My money is on Reddick. While Ayton is a maddening player, who seemingly refuses to realise his full potential, he’s still capable of giving you 15 points and 10 rebounds a night while providing a relatively high floor on defense. Ayton would start over Queta and Garza. Before the Ayton signing, the Lakers would have been in the running for the bottom spot.
25) Indiana Pacers – Jay Huff, Isaiah Jackson, Tony Bradley
Another team that would have been in the running for last place before their latest transaction. Jay Huff saved the Pacers from being in a hotly contested battle with the Celtics for last place. I love Jay Huff. 80% of Myles Turner for 9% of the price. Isaiah Jackson is also a solid rotation big who is returning from injury. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Tony Bradley (my guy, Tony B) had some playoff moments on the way to the finals.
26) New Orleans Pelicans – Kevon Looney, Derik Queen, Yves Missi, Zion Williamson
Even though Kevon Looney plays like he’s 57, he’s still a player who can get the dirty work done for you, he sets excellent screens, and gobbles up rebounds for you. Sorry, Queta, Looney has you beat. Not to mention the rebounding machine that is Yves Missi. The Pelicans shouldn’t have traded an unprotected pick for Derik Queen, but he will probably be better than all of our big men by the end of the season. Oh, and Zion might play 50 games next season.
27) Chicago Bulls – Nikola Vucevic, Zach Collins, Jalen Smith, Noa Essengue
Nikola Vucevic is past his prime. However, he did just start for a team with half the talent of the Boston Celtics and put up 19 points and 10 rebounds on 61% true shooting. Plus, the Bulls just drafted Noa Essengue with the 12th pick in the draft. Essengue would have a case to start for the Celtics.
28) Washington Wizards – Alex Sarr, Tristan Vukcevic
Even I, Alex Sarr’s number one detractor, can’t put him behind Neemias Queta. The defensive flashes were there in his rookie season. The offensive was atrocious, he shot 39.4% from THE FIELD, but as we’ve covered, Queta’s offense is a work in progress as well. Don’t forget about old friend Kelly Olynyk, who still brings a rare skill set to the big man spot.
29) Charlotte Hornets – Mason Plumlee, Moussa Diabate, Ryan Kalkbrenner
Plumlee remains a solid backup big man and would fit quite nicely into the quick decision offense that the Celtics want to operate. Diabate showed some nice flashes last season, and Ryan Kalkbrenner is billed as a high-floor centre prospect, whom the Celtics passed on.
30) Boston Celtics – Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, Xavier Tillman, Amari Williams
Need I say more?
The Celtics have the worst big man rotation in the NBA. Having such a glaring hole at the centre position could sink both the Celtics offense and defense. Without players to set effective screens, stretch the floor, and make quick decisions, the offense will be stuck in the mud. Defensively, Amari Williams, the 46th pick in the draft, might be our best rim protector. Brad Stevens has built an inside-out Death Star; instead of the thermal exhaust port that is hidden beneath the surface of the killing machine, which, if destroyed, triggers a chain reaction that destroys the entire station. The exhaust port on the Boston Celtics is located in a very accessible spot with no force fields protecting it. At first glance, the Celtics roster looks capable of competing for a playoff or Play-In spot in a weak Eastern Conference. Then, you look a little closer and you will notice a glaring hole at a crucial position. However, what appears to be a fatal roster flaw might be the cleanest soft reset the NBA has ever seen. Brad Stevens has done it again.
