Inside The Celtics

Neemias Queta's Growth Impressing Joe Mazzulla: 'It's Fun to Watch'

Bobby Krivitsky

Jan 30, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) dunks the ball during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
Jan 30, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) dunks the ball during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images / Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
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What stood out most in the Celtics' 115-111 preseason win over the Raptors on Sunday night at TD Garden were the signs of growth from the reigning champions' rotation.

With the game being the second for Boston in as many days, the starters and Xavier Tillman Sr. joined Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis on the inactive list.

That afforded the second unit and extended rotation a chance that most of them capitalized on.

Neemias Queta is a prime example.

The fourth-year center grabbed 15 rebounds, including six at the offensive end, both game-highs. Queta also put 12 points on the board and dished out five assists. He made several impressive passes, including multiple cross-court kickouts that he delivered on target to open shooters.

"Just a little bit of versatility," said Queta when asked during his on-court post-game interview with Abby Chin of NBC Sports Boston what he was trying to showcase in Sunday's win.

"We (are) always out here plugging holes and figuring out what our roles may be every single night, but just playing hard and filling in wherever the team needs me. I feel like we played hard and got a little bit of everything done."

Opportunities like this don't come around often for the Celtics' second unit, especially those in the "Stay Ready Group," like Queta.

"It means a lot to us," voiced the Lisbon, Portugal native. "And we don't get a lot of opportunities to come out here and play as many minutes as we did tonight, but we've just got to take advantage of them and play as hard as we can. We're glad we got the win."

With Kristaps Porzingis targeting a December return as he rehabs from surgery this summer after suffering a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in Boston's 105-98 win in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, there's an opportunity for Queta to earn an increased role.

At Summer League, he conveyed the following to Boston Celtics on SI about capitalizing on the team leaning further on him in the upcoming campaign.

"You've just gotta attack it as early as possible, trying to improve in all these facets of the game so you can come out there and be impactful from the beginning of the year. And even later on, give coach (Joe) Mazzulla a headache about how many options he has and being more serviceable for the guys, the better for the team."

Maximizing his extended run on Sunday, including picking up one foul in his nearly 21 minutes of floor time, as he continues minimizing a problem that used to limit his playing time, is an encouraging step in his development.

"These guys, it's tough for them because they're going to play different roles every night throughout our season," Mazzulla told Boston Celtics on SI after the win. "But Neemy's defensive awareness and execution has grown, and his offensive effectiveness -- his screening, his spacing -- he's another guy that takes his role seriously, and it's fun to watch him."

Despite logging less than 500 career minutes, from Mazzulla to Al Horford, the Celtics repeatedly praised Queta last season for how quickly he picked up what they asked of him.

His basketball IQ and the work he's putting in to convert his hopes into reality are the most underrated aspects of what the athletic seven-foot center offers a team that will often be without at least one and, at times, both of their top-two options at the pivot to start the upcoming campaign.

In the long term, the traits listed above give Queta a chance to become a rotation fixture in Boston, perhaps even growing into their starting center.

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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