The Boston Celtics will enter the upcoming season with several questions regarding how they will initially fare while Jayson Tatum recovers from an Achilles injury. One insider recently predicted that center Neemias Queta could experience a breakout season as Boston looks to remain competitive in a top-heavy Eastern Conference.
Jay King of The Athletic pointed to an increase in minutes and a highly successful EuroBasket run as reasons to believe that Queta may be on the cusp of a special campaign.
“After backing up Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet last season, Queta might be lined up to jump from fourth-string to starter. He should be the prime beneficiary of all of the Celtics’ frontcourt departures,” King wrote
“After a successful EuroBasket run — he averaged 15.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.0 steals per game while leading Portugal to the tournament’s knockout stage for the first time ever — Queta will have pressure to iron out the inconsistencies that have plagued him early in his career. Despite those, he has been productive inside and on the glass throughout four NBA seasons. With a full season of rotation minutes, don’t be surprised if he finishes near the top of the league leaderboard in offensive rebounding.”
King also pointed out that Queta could be an influential presence on defense next season.
“Queta’s increased presence should cause a statistical shift for the Celtics,” King wrote. “They finished 18th in offensive rebound rate last season, but have a chance to leap up the rankings with Queta and Luka Garza set to take on significant roles. When Queta was on the court last season, Boston had a 33-percent offensive rebound rate, which would have ranked in the top three leaguewide. He and Garza have been premier offensive rebounders throughout their careers, unlike two of the centers they will be replacing, Porziņģis and Horford. Those guys will be missed in plenty of other ways, just not on the offensive glass.”
Across 62 games last season, Quetta averaged 5.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists, and 13.9 minutes per game. The 26-year-old will likely compete for minutes with former Minnesota Timberwolves center Luke Garza, and could receive the bulk of playing time due to his familiarity with head coach Joe Mazzulla and other returning individuals.
