While many Celtics fans were hoping for a significant upgrade at center at the trade deadline, Boston went for a lower-level move, turning Anfernee Simons' expiring contract into Nikola Vucevic. There was obviously excitement about what Vucevic could bring to the table, especially on the offensive end. Yet, the defensive concerns and his postseason inexperience raised alarm bells for Celtics fans. A month into the 35-year-old big man's tenure in Boston, everything has gone as the pessimists have feared.
Vucevic played in 11 games for the Celtics, averaging 23.5 minutes per game. He has largely been Neemias Queta's backup, splitting center minutes with the Portuguese big man. Even though Vucevic has had some big scoring outings, his shortcomings are made obvious when the Celtics play stronger opponents.
Vucevic Hurts Celtics With Defensive Shortcomings & Offensive Inefficiency
In the Celtics' blowout loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, Vucevic was a disaster on both ends of the floor. His inability to protect the rim or stay in front of perimeter players was one thing, but he was very inefficient on offense, finishing 2/10 from the field. He had seven points and four rebounds in 17 minutes of action. The Celtics lost those minutes by nine.
It's not a coincidence that Vucevic was awful in Boston's previous loss, as well. In the blowout loss at Denver, Vucevic was 1/7 from the field, scored two points, and was -9 in 23 minutes. The best games Vucevic played came against the lowly Bulls and the Nets. If the opponent doesn't have a dynamic offense that can hunt Vucevic, the veteran center can survive defensively. Similarly, if the opponent is not solid defensively, Vucevic can have big scoring nights. Against elite competition, however, (like the 2026 Hornets and the Nuggets), the big man can quickly become a liability.
As a Celtic, Vucevic is shooting 49.3 percent from inside the arc, one of the lowest marks of his career. His 53.2 percent True Shooting through 11 games is among the worst for centers in the league. For a player whose entire value comes on the offensive side of the ball, that is not good enough. Vucevic already gives up plenty of points due to his lack of defensive resistance. The Celtics can't afford him to be inefficient offensively, plain and simple.
There is still some value to having Vucevic out there as a floor-spacer and a passer. To justify playing the veteran over Queta, or even Luka Garza, however, Vucevic needs to do a lot more than stand there to space the floor. And he needs to do that against strong competition. So far, this hasn't transpired, and if that continues, his playing time may gradually decline until the playoffs come around.