Frontcourt depth is once again under the microscope with Atlanta up next, missing a big man of their own.
If the Celtics (29-17) are going to keep navigating this season without tripping over their own thin spots, nights like Wednesday are exactly where the margins get tested.
Boston could be walking into its matchup with Atlanta (23-25) severely undermanned up front. Neemias Queta is listed as doubtful with an illness. Luka Garza is questionable, also dealing with an illness. That’s two true bigs potentially unavailable on a roster that already doesn’t have much center depth to play with.
And while the circumstances aren’t ideal, they do create a familiar opening - one that’s starting to feel less like a fluke and more like a trend.
Enter Amari Williams. Again.
Williams has quietly gone from emergency option to necessary piece over the last week, not because the Celtics suddenly changed their long-term plans, but because reality forced their hand.
Injuries. Illness. Back-to-backs. All the stuff that exposes where a roster is thinnest. And each time Boston has needed someone to simply hold the line in the middle, Williams has looked increasingly comfortable doing exactly that.
Monday night against Portland was the clearest example yet.
With Garza out and Queta limited, Williams played real minutes - not cameo minutes - and didn’t just survive them. He rebounded. He screened. He protected the rim. He finished plays. He belonged.
Jan 17, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) celebrates with fans after a victory over the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)Payton Pritchard went out of his way postgame to praise Williams’ feel for the game during his postgame scrum, specifically pointing out his passing and decision-making - two traits that tend to earn trust quickly in Joe Mazzulla’s system. Mazzulla, for his part, highlighted Williams’ ability to create separation with screens and hold up defensively against size while speaking to the media at the podium.
That context matters heading into Wednesday, because Atlanta is dealing with its own frontcourt problem. Kristaps Porzingis is out again, still sidelined with Achilles tendinitis in what’s become another lost stretch of availability. It’s the same story that made Boston comfortable moving on when they did - elite talent, constant uncertainty. The Hawks simply don’t have that luxury now, and without Porzingis, their interior presence thins out considerably.
That levels the playing field in a way it normally wouldn’t.
Boston doesn’t need Williams to dominate. They don’t need him to replace spacing or physicality or scoring touch.
They need competence.
Physicality. Rebounding. Good decisions.
The stuff that keeps Jaylen Brown from having to fight through traffic on every drive and allows the Celtics to stay organized defensively.
This is also where roster-building philosophy shows up in real time.
The Celtics knew they were light at center. They bet on versatility, internal development, and short-term patches rather than a splashy fix. That bet only works if players like Williams can step into uncomfortable situations and keep the structure intact.
Wednesday is another chance to prove that Monday wasn’t an outlier.
If Queta can’t go and Garza is limited or out, Williams isn’t just filling minutes - he’s filling a need. Against an Atlanta team missing its own centerpiece inside, that opportunity gets even bigger.
For a rookie fighting for long-term footing in Boston, these are the nights that matter most.
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.