Derrick White<\/p>\n
If he weren\u2019t having the worst shooting season of his career, White likely would have been an All-Star. The 6-foot-4 guard is one of just two players to amass at least 60 steals and 70 blocks this season (the other, Toronto\u2019s Scottie Barnes, is four inches taller), and he boasts the NBA\u2019s fifth-best total plus\/minus (plus-381). To quote one of Joe Mazzulla\u2019s favorite lines, White \u2014 who\u2019s also on pace for career highs in points and assists \u2014 simply \u201cimpacts winning.\u201d At least three opposing head coaches have called him one of the league\u2019s most underrated players.<\/p>\n
Payton Pritchard<\/p>\n
Pritchard\u2019s recent move from starter back to sixth man wasn\u2019t a demotion, but rather a necessary reallocation of resources after the Celtics traded away third guard Anfernee Simons. The reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year has been terrific in his return to the bench, tallying at least 24 points and seven assists in four of his five games since the trade.<\/p>\n
Neemias Queta<\/p>\n
In a conversation with the Herald last week, former Boston big man Al Horford said the \u201cbiggest surprise\u201d of this Celtics season is how well Queta has performed. Fourth on the depth chart last season, the 26-year-old has exceeded external and internal expectations as a full-time starter, averaging 9.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while boasting the NBA\u2019s 10th-best defensive rating. Queta had his best game of the season (10 points, 19 rebounds, five blocks vs. Houston) one day after the Celtics traded for Nikola Vucevic, and so far, he\u2019s kept his spot in the starting lineup over the much more experienced newcomer. We\u2019ll see if that continues.<\/p>\n
![\"Boston](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/celticsms08.jpg\")
Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) gets around Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, left, and center Donovan Clingan during the second half of a NBA game at TD Garden. (Photo By Matt Stone\/Boston Herald)
\nNikola Vucevic<\/p>\n
Vucevic\u2019s second game in a Celtics uniform was a tough watch. His third was a big improvement. After practicing with his new team for the first time, the 35-year-old center put up 19 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal against his old squad, the Chicago Bulls, finishing as a plus-26 in 26 minutes. It will be interesting to see how the Celtics game-plan around some of Vucevic\u2019s defensive limitations, especially once the playoffs arrive, but he\u2019s a proven scorer and rebounder who will add spacing and playmaking to Boston\u2019s frontcourt.<\/p>\n
Sam Hauser<\/p>\n
Out of all NBA lineups that have played at least 100 minutes this season, Boston\u2019s White-Pritchard-Brown-Hauser-Queta grouping ranks fifth in net rating. Hauser has been a locked-in starter since early January, and the Celtics are 16-5 in his last 21 starts.<\/p>\n
Hugo Gonzalez<\/p>\n
A glance at Gonzalez\u2019s traditional stats (15.2 minutes, 3.8 points, 3.3 rebounds per game) suggests this has been an unremarkable rookie season for the 20-year-old Spaniard. But advanced metrics \u2014 and the eye test \u2014 show how valuable he\u2019s been in his role. Gonzalez ranks sixth in the NBA in offensive and defensive rating and first in net rating (plus-17.0). The only other players above plus-10 are five members of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic.<\/p>\n
Baylor Scheierman<\/p>\n
Scheierman has generated fewer headlines than Boston\u2019s other young wings, but he\u2019s quietly carved out a significant role in Mazzulla\u2019s rotation. The second-year pro has played more minutes than Gonzalez or Jordan Walsh over the last month and made eight starts during that span, including four in the last five games. Scheierman is the Celtics\u2019 second-leading rebounder since the start of February, trailing only Queta.<\/p>\n
Jordan Walsh<\/p>\n
Wednesday\u2019s win over Chicago featured Walsh at his best: hounding ball-carriers 1-on-1, forcing deflections, crashing for rebounds, converting putbacks and finding space without the ball. Those types of outings were commonplace for the 21-year-old during his December heater but less so since Hauser replaced him in the starting lineup last month.<\/p>\n
Luka Garza<\/p>\n
Garza likely won\u2019t be an everyday rotation player with Vucevic now in the mix, but he\u2019s proven he can be an asset for Boston, especially offensively. He ranks top-10 in the NBA in true shooting percentage, effective field-goal percentage and offensive rebound percentage, with a team-best 43.8% success rate on 3-pointers.<\/p>\n
![\"Atlanta](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/celticsms18_6b6d61.jpg\")
Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) takes the ball from Boston Celtics center Luka Garza during the second half of an NBA game at the TD Garden. (Photo By Matt Stone\/Boston Herald)
\nAmari Williams<\/p>\n
Trade deadline week was an odd one for Williams, who both earned a permanent roster spot and saw his role shrink considerably. The Celtics converted the second-round rookie center\u2019s two-way contract to a standard deal after trading away Chris Boucher, Xavier Tillman and Josh Minott \u2014 but he\u2019s now unlikely to see much meaningful NBA playing time behind Queta, Vucevic and Garza.<\/p>\n
Ron Harper Jr. (two-way)<\/p>\n
The Celtics still have three open spots on their 15-man roster, at least two of which they must fill by next week. Odds are one of those will go to Harper, whom Brad Stevens recently called \u201ca stud\u201d and \u201cone of the best players in the G League.\u201d The 25-year-old wing has logged real minutes in three of Boston\u2019s last four games, including an impressive first NBA start against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. Harper will be busy during All-Star weekend, as he\u2019s set to participate in both the Rising Stars challenge and the Shooting Stars competition.<\/p>\n
Max Shulga (two-way)<\/p>\n
Shulga made his NBA debut last Wednesday, playing the final two minutes of Boston\u2019s blowout win over Houston. The rookie point guard is averaging 15.2 points, 6.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game for Maine.<\/p>\n
John Tonje (two-way)<\/p>\n