Celtics Newcomer Labeled Top Breakout Candidate For 2025-26
The Boston Celtics have gotten off to a slow start in 2025-26, holding a 1-3 record entering Wednesday’s clash with the powerful Cleveland Cavaliers.
One of Boston’s main issues is rebounding, but this isn’t a surprising development. The Celts lost their three best centers in the offseason, Al Horford, Luke Kornet, and Kristaps Porzingis, leaving Boston with a collection of bench bigs to patrol the paint by committee.
One of those centers is fifth-year man Luka Garza, who signed a two-year, $5.5 million deal with Boston in July. A former Iowa standout, Garza spent the last three NBA season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but his minutes never reached a substantial amount on Minny’s loaded roster (6.3 minutes per game over 92 games with the Wolves).
In three games played for the Celtics this year, Garza is logging 12.7 minutes per game and averaging a modest 6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, or 17.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per 36 minutes.
Garza hasn’t made a monumental impact on Boston’s frontcourt yet, but the season is still in its infancy. Is a breakout year coming from Luka? CBS Sports’ Colin Ward-Henninger seems to think so, as he selected Garza as Boston’s most likely breakout player in a new article this week.
“Boston’s frontcourt rotation is wide-open, and the 6-foot-10 Garza should be champing at the bit for a crack at regular minutes,” Ward-Henninger wrote.
“A second-round pick in 2021, he’s seen sporadic action over his first four NBA seasons with the Pistons and Timberwolves. One thing’s for sure, though: The man produces. In a career-best 39 games last season, Garza averaged 22.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per 36 minutes on 50% field goal shooting. Thus far his playing time has been minimal, but if he can work his way into heavier minutes, he should easily post career numbers across the board.”
Boston’s other bigs are Neemias Queta, Chris Boucher, and Xavier Tillman. Queta and Boucher are still more viable options than Garza for Joe Mazzulla, but if either suffers an injury at any point, Luka will be called upon to carry a heavier load.
Even if injuries don’t occur, Garza is still staring at the best opportunity he’s had in the NBA, and it’s therefore in his best interest to play the best basketball of his life in a Celtics uniform.