The Boston Celtics are less than a week out from the beginning of training camp, as excitement for the new season is building up. With many questions following a busy offseason, which saw the team lose multiple rotation players, and with Jayson Tatum out with a ruptured Achilles, this will be a different team than Celtics fans have been accustomed to. With how many minutes will be available to young players, one center on the roster has the most to prove in this year's training camp.
Neemias Queta Has the Most to Prove Entering Celtics Training Camp
Going into the season, Neemias Queta is set to be the Celtics' starting center. Entering his third year with the team, Queta has shown improvement during his time in Boston, but has had some mistakes that have seen him out of the rotation at times.
With the Celtics losing both Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet, Queta will see extended minutes this season and could cement himself as the center of the future for the Celtics. If Queta wants to prove he is worthy of being a consistent starter for the team, everything starts with having a strong training camp.
For Queta, a strong training camp would go a long way in reassuring fans that the center position has some promise, as the depth at the position has been a concern. The biggest weakness for Queta has been stringing together his good performances and remaining consistent. If he wants to be a full-time starter, he needs to be more consistent, especially with more responsibility this season.
During the offseason, Queta played a vital role in leading Portugal during EuroBasket. During the tournament, Queta averaged 15.5 points and 8 rebounds, averaging 24 minutes a night. While performing well in EuroBasket and the NBA are different things, if Queta can keep up the progress he made, then that would be a great sign for the Celtics.
Queta has a great opportunity to showcase his worth to the team with the current center rotation. If he continues to improve, he could work his way into being the center of the future; if not, the Celtics may look elsewhere for a center. We'll get our first look at the Celtics when training camp begins on Monday, Sept. 29th. The Celtics kick off preseason play on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, Oct. 8.