The Boston Celtics need to play Neemias Queta more than they have. Maybe he doesn't need to start (this probably would still be the right decision because of his chemistry -- he has a legitimate two-man game with Jayson Tatum, and it's a ton of fun to watch -- and development, but Mitchell Robinson has done a fine job in the lineup), but he is averaging just 19.8 minutes through four games (25.3 MPG last season), and that needs to change.
We're still very early in the season, and there will likely be plenty of opportunities for Queta to get more playing time, but he had an incredible campaign last year, and the Celtics should focus on building on that the rest of the way.
Neemias Queta proved he is a real asset to the Celtics
Queta played a consistent role for the first time in his career last season, and he delivered. He started 75 of his 76 games (he started a total of six games in his prior four seasons) and averaged 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 blocks while shooting 65.3% from the field.
The Portuguese native was better at the end of the season than he was at the beginning (he struggled against Joel Embiid in the first round of the playoffs, but even a less-than-fully healthy Joel Embiid is a tough guard for anybody in the league), and he was a big part of Boston's success last season.
Even in his limited role this season, he is averaging 8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.8 blocks while shooting 57.9% from the field (he's even 1-for-1 from deep).
Queta might never be an All-Star-level big man, but it's clear that he can play and contribute to winning basketball. He is a tenacious player (particularly on the boards; it just seems like he will never, ever give up on a play). He is incredibly athletic and has that "jumpy" playstyle that made Robert Williams III so loved in Boston. And he has improved greatly as a passer and in his positioning (it seems like he always knows where to go)
(His post game is also incredibly underrated. He's not Hakeem Olajwuon or Kevin McHale, but he's got good footwork and has a bit of a bag of tricks in the post.)
The Celtics should see Neemias Queta's development through
Queta isn't 20 or 21 years old. He's not even 25 or 26 (he turned 27 in July, in case you were wondering). It's not like he's a young prospect who has a limitless ceiling. His foul concerns are also very real (he has recorded four, four, zero, and six fouls in his four games this season).
But at the same time, he is constantly getting better, and he has already proven he's good enough to be a starting center on an Eastern Conference contender (the Celtics were the No. 2 seed last season before their early playoff exit).
The Celtics clearly like Queta. They signed him to a two-way contract when the Sacramento Kings waived him in 2023 (I'm sure this was the last time that franchise made a mistake, am I right?). They converted his contract to a standard one at the end of that season and then signed him to a multi-year deal in the offseason. They took a chance on him as their starter last year after Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, and Al Horford departed, and they signed him to a new contract this past offseason.
It would make sense for them to maximize his development. Learning from Robinson should be a big help, but the best way for him to improve his game is for him to actually get time on the court. And as it stands, Boston hasn't put him in the best position to take his game to the next level.
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