"Who else is there?": Kristaps Porzingis takes sneaky shot at Celtics' glaring hole at center after his trade

Boston Celtics v Utah Jazz - Source: Getty
Kristaps Porzingis supports his former teammate (image credit: getty)

The Boston Celtics have had to make some tough decisions with their roster this offseason.

Ad

They might lose Al Horford in free agency after trading Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers and Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks. Most notably, Jayson Tatum is out due to the Achilles injury he suffered in May.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla may have to roll with Neemias Queta as his starting big man next season. When asked about that, Porzingis seemed to throw some shade at his former team.

Ad
Ad

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

“Starter? Good question," Porzingis said on Monday, via CLNS' Bobby Manning. "Who else is there? Honestly, I haven’t really thought about their roste."

However, Porzingis was still supportive of his former teammate. He noted that Queta has been putting in the work, and he believes he's ready to embrace a bigger role in his fifth season.

"But what I will say is Neemi has been getting better each year," Porzingis said. "And coach Mazzulla has been pretty tough on him. And I believe he's getting to a point where he deserves some real minutes, some real rotation minutes."
Ad

Queta averaged a career-high 13.9 minutes per game in 2024-25, and that will likely be higher next season. He's a long rim protector with solid rebounding instincts, but he has yet to be battle-tested at the NBA level. That'll be a situation to keep an eye on in Boston.

Kristaps Porzingis leads Latvia to a big win

The Celtics coaching staff likely watched Neemias Queta closely against Kristaps Porzingis at the 2025 EuroBasket tournament.

Ad

Porzingis led Latvia to a 78-62 win over Portugal on Monday. He dominated with 21 points on 6 of 14 shooting, including 5 of 12 from beyond the arc. Porzingis also recorded nine rebounds, three assists, and one block.

It was a much-needed strong outing for him, and a statement over the player who's set to replace him in Boston.

Queta was also solid in the loss, logging 16 points on 7 of 12 shooting, along with seven boards, one assist, one block, and two steals.

Porzingis will anchor the Hawks' interior defense next season, potentially playing alongside Onyeka Okongwu or former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher. While he has struggled with injuries in his career, he's a proven veteran who can help the team get back to playoff contention.

Boston Celtics Nation! You can check out the latest Boston Celtics Schedule and dive into the Celtics Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.

Quick Links

Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
down arrow icon
More
bell-icon Manage notifications