Is Shaquille O’Neal the Most Important Celtics Center for a Championship Run?

The drama surrounding the Boston Celtics’ group of centers took an interesting turn on Thursday.

Nenad Krstic was sent home to Boston to get a knee injury checked out while Jermaine O’Neal, who has only played 318 total minutes this season, returned to the court for the first time since Jan. 10.

To make matters even more interesting, C’s president of basketball operations Danny Ainge also told the media that the 39-year-old Shaquille O’Neal should return to action either Sunday or Tuesday.

Which Celtics center is most important heading down the stretch and into the playoffs?

Jermaine O’Neal is averaging 5.2 points in just 18 games while Krstic, who has also played 18 games (all starts) for the Celtics since being traded from Oklahoma City to Boston on Feb. 24, is averaging 9.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Shaq, meanwhile, averaged 9.3 points and 4.9 boards in his first 36 games as a member of the C’s.

Which center is most important to the Celtics?online surveys