Celtics’ Neemias Queta is leading all NBA centers in this one key stat
After losing Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet over the summer, Neemias Queta has found himself operating as the Boston Celtics’ starting big man. The 7-foot rim-runner has spent the past two seasons near the bottom of Joe Mazzulla’s depth chart.
To his credit, Queta is grasping the opportunity with both hands. He’s already displaying incremental improvements, specifically in guarding without fouling and boxing out after shots go up. On offense, Queta is slowly developing into a reliable screener and roll-man threat.
Queta’s impact has been easy for Celtics fans to see. More importantly, his production is showing up on the stat sheet. According to Taylor Snow of Celtics.com, the 26-year-old is leading all big men in Net Rating (+19.3),and that includes three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
Queta played a large role for the Celtics as they defeated the Washington Wizards 136-107 on Nov. 5. He ended the night with a double-double in points (15) and rebounds (12) while also chipping in with five assists.
As a non-shooting big man, Queta is following in Luke Kornet’s footsteps. The former Celtics big man developed into one of the most analytically sound centers in the NBA by focusing on his screening, dribble hand-off creation and rim protection. Queta has the skill set to improve in all of those areas.
Boston’s center rotation is an area of concern for Celtics fans. The team suffered a significant talent drain over the summer. Fortunately, Queta’s continued improvements have eased some of those concerns. If his development continues to follow its current trend, he likely will be part of Mazzulla’s rotation for years to come.
Over Boston’s first nine games of the season, Queta is averaging 9.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists, shooting 71.4% from the field. He is proving himself to be a reliable big man at the NBA level and is growing into his new role as a starter