Will Luke Kornet or Neemias Queta play a bigger role for the Celtics at center?

Head coach Joe Mazzulla declared shortly before the Celtics left for their west coast trip that Al Horford, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet would comprise the bench unit in Boston’s nine-man rotation when healthy. Then, Luke Kornet got hurt, and when he returned from his adductor strain in Los Angeles for the Christmas Day game against the Lakers — he stayed on the bench while Neemias Queta stood up for a first half stint at back up center

Queta, who averaged 10.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game against the Warriors, Kings and Clippers, and Horford combined to outscore opponents by 30.9 points per 100 possessions as a two-man lineup. Even factoring in his -10 minutes against the Lakers and 50% shooting around the rim, Queta remains +16.3 per 100 through his first nine Celtics appearances.

Queta failed to build on his three stellar showings to begin the road trip, but his appearance on Monday reignited the depth center debate from the preseason. Boston faces the Pistons and Raptors on a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday, with Horford inevitably sitting the second game and Porzingis historically splitting the games, too. Whether Boston returns to Kornet or pushes Queta again will be telling for where the Celtics view the position turning ahead of a deadline where big man could emerge as a need.

Multiple reports to close the calendar year have signaled the Celtics’ interest in front court help. Centers like Isaiah Stewart and Kelly Olynyk or versatile wings like John Konchar who could help at the four when the front court plays short-handed. With the first two players too expensive to acquire without overhauling a largely successful bench unit, a Konchar-like addition seems more realisQueta, who averaged 10.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game against the Warriors, Kings and Clippers, and Horford combined to outscore opponents by 30.9 points per 100 possessions as a two-man lineup. Even factoring in his -10 minutes against the Lakers and 50% shooting around the rim, Queta remains +16.3 per 100 through his first nine Celtics appearances.tic.

Queta, who averaged 10.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game against the Warriors, Kings and Clippers, and Horford combined to outscore opponents by 30.9 points per 100 possessions as a two-man lineup. Even factoring in his -10 minutes against the Lakers and 50% shooting around the rim, Queta remains +16.3 per 100 through his first nine Celtics appearances.

Kornet, by contrast, has worked a +1.2 individual net rating through 17 games and +3.4 playing next to Horford in 44 minutes. That difference alone likely changed minds inside the Celtics’ coaching staff, alongside Queta’s astonishing 21.8 OREB% that would edge out Mitchell Robinson for the top mark in the league if he qualified.

“It seems to me, the game comes easy to him,” Horford noticed late in training camp. “Especially around the basket. He has a really good feel for finishing and rebounding, and being there in the right place, right time. That’s been the impressive part to me. He’s a bigger guy, he can finish pretty well at the rim. That’s been the most impressive.”