The Celtics made a notable rotation call on Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors, starting Luka Garza for the first time this season in an unusual double-big lineup. It was the first time this season Boston opened with Neemias Queta and Garza together, a clear sign that Mazzulla is still willing to experiment with the group’s shape and minutes.
The starting five was Derrick White, Baylor Scheierman, Jayson Tatum, Neemias Queta, and Luka Garza. That is not a conventional look, but it was consistent with a season in which Boston has already tried several different starters, including Sam Hauser, Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, Mitchell Robinson, and Mike Conley. Queta had been starting for six games after beginning the year off the bench, so Garza’s promotion was the latest adjustment in a fluid early-season rotation.
Why Garza’s role matters
Garza’s first start of the season is more than a lineup note. It speaks to how Boston is trying to manage its depth and use different looks to find the most effective combinations. Garza said the opportunity gives him another way onto the floor, especially with the bigs the Celtics have and the depth around them, and that he is committed to trying to be effective in that role.
That is the practical reality of the Celtics right now. They do not seem locked into one fixed frontcourt setup, and Wednesday night showed that clearly. When a team has multiple options up front, the question becomes not only who can start, but which pairings can hold up against different opponents and different game states.
The players are helping decide the look
The most unusual detail came before the game. On Sunday morning, Mazzulla asked the room who should start, and Jayson Tatum and Derrick White picked the starting lineup. Conley later described it as the coach leaving it up to his players, before adding that Tatum essentially laid out the group and made it feel real.
That kind of moment tells you something about the atmosphere around the team. The Celtics are not treating the early-season lineup as fixed or untouchable, and the players are clearly part of the conversation. Pritchard even joked afterward, “There was no beef.”
The context also matters because Queta had already been in the starting group for six games, and the Celtics have had to adapt as the season has developed. A first start for Garza does not necessarily mean a permanent change, but it does underline how open the door is for different players to earn minutes when the matchups and form require it.
What Wednesday night shows
Boston’s decision against Toronto was an example of how this team is still working through its best combinations. The Raptors arrived without Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes, but the Celtics still chose to test a bigger look from the opening tip rather than stick rigidly with one pattern.
Garza’s start was the headline, but the bigger story is that Boston now has evidence it can use a double-big lineup when it wants to. Whether that becomes a regular feature or just a one-off depends on the next run of games, but Wednesday night made one thing clear: the Celtics are not afraid to change things up, even when it means making a first start of the season for Luka Garza.
