Neemias Queta did everything the Boston Celtics needed him to do last season and then some. He stepped up following the departures of Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kornet, had a career year (10.2 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 BPG, 65.3 FG%, and he earned Most Improved Player consideration).
He was solid, but it also became clear that he's not Boston's center of the future. The Portuguese native still has a lot of flaws (defensive discipline/foul trouble, struggles guarding bigger centers, and has a limited offensive game), and given that he is already almost 27 years old, he doesn't have a ton of time to put all this together.
There's a lot to like about Queta's game, though (tenacious rebounder, mobile for his size, has an underrated post-up package, and is a solid passer/playmaker for his size), and that's exactly why he deserves a big role with the team moving forward.
Among all of Queta's flaws, none are as troublesome as his inability to space the floor. He is a career 1-for-11 from beyond the arc, and in the era of the Joe Mazzulla Celtics, this isn't going to cut it if the team is looking to be serious title contenders for the long run.
The Celtics need to acquire a stretch big this offseason
In order for Boston's system to run as proficiently as possible, it needs to sign a reliable big man who can space the floor and hit some threes. This was probably the biggest area where it missed having Horford and Porzingis around.
The Celtics hoped Nikola Vucevic would be that guy when they traded Anfernee Simons for him back in February, but that didn't happen (he shot 34% from deep in the regular season and 29.2% from deep in six playoff games). It also seems like the team is kind of trying to turn Luka Garza into a stretch big. And while it's mostly worked out (he shot a career-best 43.3% from beyond the arc last season), the Celtics can't actually expect to compete for a title if Garza is their starting center.
Boston thrives on living and dying by the three. Say what you will about this philosophy, but it was a big reason the team won their 18th title in 2024, and it's a big reason they've been a top team with Mazzulla as their head coach.
If they don't have a reliable center who can make an impact from outside (either directly or indirectly, by opening up opportunities for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to do some damage in the paint), then they're going to find themselves one piece away from completing the puzzle for a very long time.
The Celtics could re-sign Porzingis in free agency, or they could swing a trade for someone like Myles Turner (though his contract and regression don't make him as appealing a target as he would have been a few years ago). Regardless of how it happens, Boston needs to figure this out. And it needs to happen as soon as possible.
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