Celtics Center On Potential Starting Role: 'That’s a [Mazzulla] thing to figure out'

The Celtics have a decision to make with their starting center, but one of those options doesn't seem to be too fussed about which role he prefers.

Apr 9, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) secures a rebound against Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Boston Celtics open up training camp in two weeks, officially beginning work on a fascinating season that has reshaped the team. 

Obviously, the team will begin a season without Jaylen Brown for the first time in a decade, which will make things very different. But they will also begin the season with some new faces in the mix. 

One of them, Mitchell Robinson, addresses a major need for the Celtics. It pairs him with Neemias Queta, who is coming off a breakout season, to give Boston its most consistent center play for a long time. He and Queta will bring some consistency to the position, with both being strong screeners, rollers, and finishers around the rim. They're not the same, but they're close enough stylistically that the playbook won’t change much with either in the lineup. 

That does raise a question, though, about the distribution of their minutes. There are strong arguments to be made for each of them to start games. Speaking at a community event this past weekend, Queta shrugged off any potential controversy over who starts and who comes off the bench.

“That’s a Joe [Mazzulla] thing to figure out,” Queta said, via the Boston Globe. “I’m just out there welcoming my new teammates with open arms. Mitchell is going to be a great addition for us. I’m extremely happy that I don’t have to go against him any more because he used to get all these rebounds, so it’s going to be good to have him on our side.”

The argument for starting Robinson rests mostly in avoiding his biggest weakness: free throw shooting. Starting Robinson eliminates the intentional fouling strategy Joe Mazzulla employed often against the New York Knicks when Robinson was hurting the Celtics.

Aside from that, there is a case to be made that Robinson is more athletic than Queta, and therefore might be a better option to pair with Jayson Tatum, giving Tatum an extra beat or two to decide whether he’ll shoot or pass off pick-and-rolls. 

The argument for Queta starting is his familiarity with the team, giving Boston a more seamless start to the season rather than forcing the team to integrate both Robinson and Paul George at the same time. Queta has certainly earned a larger role with the Celtics, and that usually means starting. 

Mazzulla often bristles at the importance placed on starting versus coming off the bench. The Celtics will always default to whichever combinations give them the best chance to win. And even if Queta comes off the bench, he’ll probably play more minutes than Robinson and finish games … not to mention the fact that Queta will probably start half the time anyway as Robinson avoids back-to-backs and misses time with injuries. 

The argument over which center should start and which should come off the bench can end up sounding like Vizzini trying to figure out which cup is poisoned with iocane powder. Ultimately, the Celtics will have no choice but to drink from the cup. We’ll just hope whichever choice Mazzulla makes has a better outcome.