After missing a month of action with a finger injury, Nikola Vucevic returned to action for the Boston Celtics on Sunday. The 35-year-old center came off the bench and played 13 minutes in Boston's win over the Toronto Raptors.
While adding more depth in the center rotation is certainly helpful for the Celtics, they can't make the mistake of relying on Vucevic in the postseason. In the veteran's return, head coach Joe Mazzulla made Luka Garza a healthy scratch.
Neemias Queta and Vucevic ended up playing all of the center minutes, which might be a recipe for disaster once the playoffs arrive.
Nikola Vucevic Should Be Behind Neemias Queta, Luka Garza in Celtics' Rotation
Queta's minutes went significantly better than Vucevic's.
The Celtics were plus-30 in the 34 minutes the Portuguese big man was on the court, and lost Vucevic's minutes by 14 points. It certainly wasn't the best game for the Montenegrin center, who was 2-of-5 (40.0%) from the field for four points, four rebounds, two turnovers, and four personal fouls.
Perhaps if it weren't for his foul trouble, Vucevic would have played even more than he did. This would have been a mistake. While some rust can be expected after missing a month, especially when shooting the ball, Vucevic's issues are never on the offensive side of the ball.
Defensively, Vucevic is the weakest link on Boston's roster. He is slow-footed and doesn't have the length to make up for his lack of athleticism. He can't move his feet well enough to challenge shots at the rim or stay in front of perimeter players. He is also not strong enough to hold his own in the post against the best centers.
Queta has significant athletic and physical advantages over Vucevic. He can protect the rim, run the floor, and finish around the basket. He is not the shooter or passer that Vucevic is, but shooting and passing aren't what the Celtics are primarily hoping to get out of the center position. Even if it was, it's not clear that Vucevic is even an upgrade over Garza.
At this point, it's hard to imagine the Celtics starting Vucevic over Queta or finishing games with him. Queta should play as many minutes as he can handle. The competition for minutes should be between Vucevic and Garza.
While Vucevic is the higher-profile player of the two, Garza has shown the ability to impact games with his offensive rebounding, hustle, and shooting. He is averaging a whopping 2.2 offensive rebounds in only 15 minutes per game. He also makes 44.1% of his threes, albeit on low volume. He has similar defensive concerns to Vucevic, but he has earned the backup center role with his play throughout the season.
Changing that would be a risk the Celtics should be hesitant to take, especially this late in the season.