The Celtics will be shorthanded when they face the Nets at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Brooklyn, though it’s still unclear how many starters they’ll be missing. Derrick White (rest), Jayson Tatum (Achilles) and Josh Minott (ankle) are all out. Neemias Queta is questionable for the game due to an illness.
White has missed just one game all season, so the rest designation isn’t too big a surprise. The Celtics also face the Bulls on Saturday in Chicago on the back-to-back, so giving the guard a night off makes sense. White is averaging 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, though he’s been in a recent shooting slump.
Queta has enjoyed a breakout season for the Celtics as their starting big man. If he’s unable to play, expect Luka Garza to get more opportunity. It’ll be interesting to see how the Celtics operate with their rotation with no Queta. Earlier this season, Minott has slid in as a small-ball center, but he’s missed several games due to his ankle sprain.
With White out, it’s likely the Celtics roll with another wing in the starting lineup. That’s what they did when Payton Pritchard missed a game last week. It appears the C’s want to keep Anfernee Simons in his bench role, where he’s excelled recently after a slow start to the season.
The Celtics have a favorable stretch of their schedule coming up, starting with Friday’s game in Brooklyn. They only face one team with a winning record in their next seven games, meaning it could be a chance to pick up wins for the standings. The C’s are currently 27-16, good for second in the East.