Celtics News: Surprising Center Steps Up After Kristaps Porzingis Injury

Jeremy Hanna | 2 Hours Ago

Oct 13, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) and Toronto Raptors guard Davion Mitchell (45) battle for the ball during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics, the reigning NBA champions, have started the 2024 season with an excellent 7-1 record, only sitting behind the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference.

What's particularly surprising about this is that it is without star center Kristaps Porziņģis.

The former All-Star was an integral part to the Celtics' championship run last season, averaging 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, two assists, and 1.9 blocks per game across 57 games.

Unfortunately, Porziņģis has been unable to play this season after undergoing surgery to repair a reinaculum injury.

This means other players have had to step up in his absence, the most surprising of which has been Neemias Queta.

For most of his games this season, Queta has played minimal time. However, he gave a standout performance when he started in Boston's victory against the Atlanta Hawks.

In 23 minutes, Queta recorded 10 points, seven rebounds, a steal, and a block in his first career start in the NBA.

This marks the third time Queta's defensive presence has had an effect on a game. He almost fueled an overtime comeback against the Indiana Pacers with nine total rebounds and had a dominant game against the Charlotte Hornets, where he recorded 12 points, six total rebounds, and an assist in 24 minutes.

Needless to say, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has taken to Queta and is happy with how he has grown as a player.

“He’s grown a lot as a player and quite honestly he doesn’t know how good he can be,” Mazzulla said, per Brian Robb of Mass Live. “He’s got a great ceiling and so the standard is very high and I thought he did some great things for us tonight.”

“When you’re as good as he could be, we all got to hold him to that standard every single night. It’s a credit to them for allowing us to coach him, it’s a credit to the guys for supporting him. You see what he’s capable of when he’s at his best and he could be a real asset for us."

“He works really hard, he cares, he wants to be coached. I’m grateful he allows me to coach him. He’s starting to realize how good he can be and he’s working at it.”

While he's not likely to take Porzingis' spot, Queta has proven himself to be a perfect rotation player for a championship caliber team that already looks stronger.

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