The Celtics aren’t deep in the front court
And Boston’s loss also came with an injury to a key reserve big man.
Celtics center Luke Kornet exited early from the 118-112 defeat due to right hamstring tightness. Kornet played through the first three quarters but was absent for the final frame. He finished with just two points, three rebounds and two assists in 14 minutes off the bench.
It’s unclear the severity of Kornet’s injury and how much time he will need to recover. If Kornet, who turned in a better than expected start to this season and even poured in 19 points last week in a road win over the Charlotte Hornets, does miss extended time, it could pose a problem for the Celtics.
The Celtics aren’t exactly the deepest at the center spot with Kristaps Porzingis still sidelined as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery. Porzingis is expected to return in December. That leaves Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla leaning on Al Horford, Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta at the five spot.
Tillman recently fell out of the regular rotation, registering two DNPs-coach’s decision over the last four games and playing sparingly in the other two contests. The Celtics are trying to be careful with Horford’s workload in his 18th NBA season and the veteran won’t play in both legs of back-to-backs — like the one Boston has next week. That could mean just Tillman and Queta available to Mazzulla if Kornet is unable to play.
But the emergence of Queta could offset Kornet’s absence. He earned his second straight start against the Warriors and turned in an impactful effort by netting 14 points and grabbing eight rebounds in 28 minutes. The 7-footer even blocked a Steph Curry layup attempt in the fourth quarter and threw down an impressive dunk over Warriors big man Kevon Looney. Queta was the only Celtics starter to finish with a positive plus-minus rating.
And if Kornet has to miss multiple games, it could lead to the Celtics expanding Queta’s role even more.
