The Boston Celtics have five primary bigs on the roster heading into the 2024-25 season: Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman, and Neemias Queta. Having a deep center rotation is a luxury, but it will be up to Joe Mazzulla to dish out playing time.
Who's the best option? Who's the worst? How will they all perform?
5. Luke Kornet
Last season, Luke Kornet averaged 5.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks while shooting exactly 70.0% from the field. In his second full season with the team, he became a permanent fixture in the rotation. And while he didn't always get playing time, Kornet provided vibes that C's fans haven't seen since the likes of Shaq or White Mamba.
In the playoffs, Kornet's minutes were few and far between. He had a 10-rebound game against the Cleveland Cavaliers and always brought the energy whilst riding the pine, but his playing time dropped significantly.
The biggest reason for his place in these rankings is his lack of minutes in the NBA Finals. If he wasn't trusted to play in the biggest games of the season, what does that say about the front office's belief in the gentle giant? That said, perhaps Kornet's apparent wrist injury may have played a part in that decision.
Kornet was the only big man (out of him, Tillman, and Queta) not to receive a multi-year extension this summer, so that could be a tell-tale sign as well.
#4 Neemias Queta
Neemias Queta has all the tools to be a good big man in this NBA and a permanent fixture on the Celtics. Fans have got a glimpse of what they can expect from him in spot minutes throughout his first year with the team.
He averaged 5.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 11.9 minutes per game while shooting 64.4% from the floor. Whether it was his thunderous lob dunks or overall defensive presence in the paint, he was an immediate fan-favorite in the heart of many Celtics fans. And after inking a multi-year extension with Boston this summer, he enjoyed a successful Summer League stint.
Queta will likely see an influx of minutes this season as a standard contract player, especially with Kristaps Porzingis slated to miss a huge chunk of time to start the year. The Portugese big man has the most upside of any role player on the roster. Conditioning and his issues getting into early foul trouble are the only things that could potentially slow him down.
3. Xavier Tillman
Xavier Tillman was acquired at last year's trade deadline. In his 20 games with the Celtics, he averaged 4.0 points and 2.7 rebounds on 51.5% shooting from the field and 28.6% shooting from three.
Tillman is a crafty defender, an old-school bruiser in the post, and he provides some necessary depth behind an aging Al Horford and an injury-prone Kristaps Porzingis. Plus, his game-winner against the Sacramento Kings was a nice and unexpected touch.
Throughout most of the playoffs, opportunities were little to non-existent for the reserve big man. Tillman only played 8.6 minutes per game with averages of 1.5 points and 1.8 rebounds.
However, the NBA Finals proved different. He played valuable minutes as the eighth man when Porzingis went down. He had two blocks on Luka Doncic, an and-one layup in game four, and a corner three-pointer in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
Not only did he make some major contributions in one of the biggest games of the year, but he also signed a multi-year contract extension with Boston this summer.
2. Al Horford
Year 17 was another rock-steady campaign for Al Horford. The ageless wonder averaged 8.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.0 blocks in 65 regular season games. He finished the season with remarkable efficiency, shooting 51.1% from the field and 41.9% from distance.
Big Al's smooth shooting, locker-room leadership, and high basketball IQ make him invaluable to the Celtics' success. He's never flashy but always the Ole Reliable type of veteran any winning team needs.
When Porzingis went down with an injury in Game 4 of the first round against the Miami Heat, Horford took center stage, starting for the remainder of Boston's postseason run.
In a series-clinching Game 5 in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Horford erupted for 22 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks, becoming the first player in NBA history with those exact marks.
In year 18, Horford sees no reason to hang it up anytime soon. Horford is still Boston's top Porzingis replacement, and they'll need him while the Latvian center is sidelined.
1. Kristaps Porzingis
In his first year with the team, Kristaps Porzingis proved to be a massive addition to an already contending powerhouse in the Boston Celtics. The Unicorn averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 57 regular season games. He shot 51.6% from the field and 37.5%% from three-point range.
The injury bug hit Porzingis in the postseason, as he was sidelined from Game 4 of the first round to Game 1 of the NBA Finals. But when he came back, he was awesome.
Porzingis triumphantly returned in Game 1 of the NBA Finals and played one of the most impactful games of his Celtics tenure. The Latvian center flourished, finishing with 20 points (18 in the first half), six rebounds, and three blocks.
Though Porzingis went down with a major injury in Game 2, he fought back and played meaningful minutes in Game 5. The big man is projected to be back on the court by late December, and when that happens, the league is in trouble.
