The Boston Celtics embark on their journey to hang their 19th championship banner this weekend. As the No. 2 seed and with Jayson Tatum back, the Celtics have all the confidence in the world to make a deep postseason run. As was expected before the season, the biggest, and perhaps only, question mark in the rotation is at center. Nikola Vucevic was added at the trade deadline to help improve their center depth, but the Celtics must have a short leash on him in the playoffs.
At his best, Vucevic can give the Celtics solid offensive production. He spaces the floor with his shooting and can act as a hub on offense thanks to his ability to pass and score. Among Boston's centers, he is probably the best offensive player.
That is not enough to get consistent minutes on this Celtics team, though. Neemias Queta has proven himself as a capable, two-way center. He will play as many minutes as he can handle. The backup center spot will be between Vucevic and Luka Garza.
Celtics Shouldn't Be Afraid to Turn to Luka Garza Over Nikola Vucevic
Vucevic may have the edge in that battle to start the postseason thanks to his higher profile and reputation. Joe Mazzulla may understandably want to get him going to see if he can be a contributor during the playoff run. If that doesn't work early in the playoffs, however, the Celtics should be fine with keeping him at the end of the bench.
Despite his 15 years of experience in the NBA, Vucevic is an unproven playoff player. Even in his heyday, he was a bad defender. Now, he is 35 years old, and his defense has never been tested in the playoffs, as he has not made it out of the first round in his career. He doesn't have the length to challenge shots at the rim or the athleticism to get out and defend on the perimeter. He struggles to stay in front of quicker players and stay behind bigger centers.
This can create all sorts of problems for the Celtics, especially against elite offensive teams like the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Luka Garza has similar defensive concerns, too, but he is more familiar with the scheme and can do more on the boards and in the floor game. If Vucevic stumbles out of the game, the Celtics can't wait too long before turning to Garza.
It's not like the Celtics have to think about Vucevic's future with the team. The veteran center will be a free agent this summer. If he can't make an impact in the playoffs, the Celtics could let him sign elsewhere. If he can contribute, great. Otherwise, Boston must trust the group that has taken it this far.
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