There was a lot of pressure on Neemias Queta to step up for the Boston Celtics this past season after the departures of Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. And, for the most part, he delivered.
Queta became Boston's new starting center (he started 75 of his 76 games in the regular season) and had the best year of his career. On the year, he averaged 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 65.3% from the field.
The 26-year-old also showed a ton of development on the defensive side of the ball and in his positioning, and he will likely receive some votes for the Most Improved Player award this season.
However, while Queta had a solid season, there are still questions about whether he is truly their center of the future and if he can be trusted to be a starter on a championship team.
The Celtics need to figure out Neemias Queta's role moving forward
One anonymous Western Conference scout recently said that, while Queta is capable of being a starting center for the Celtics, they are concerned about his ceiling and whether he can be a big part of the lineup if the team wants to be a legitimate title contender (h/t Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN).
"Can Queta get you through 82? Yes, but can he patchwork it through the playoffs?" the first West scout said. "I think he keeps getting better, but there's a ceiling. They have to get a higher-level center if they want to be considered serious contenders."
I'm a big-time Queta guy and have been ever since the Celtics signed him a couple of years ago, so you can only imagine how thrilled I was that he didn't just get a real opportunity this season, but he also looked like a legitimate contributor.
But in a hypothetical world, would I trust him to start Game 7 of the NBA Finals for Boston? Not at this moment, but that could change in another year or two.
The Portuguese native is becoming a fantastic two-way player and a tenacious rebounder. He is also an underrated passer for his size, and while he's no Kevin McHale or Hakeem Olajuwon, he's got some post moves that could become a real asset if he continues to develop.
He's also almost 27 years old (doesn't have a very high ceiling), is a foul waiting to happen (he averaged 2.8 fouls per game in the regular season and 4.1 in the playoffs), allows players to blow by him constantly even though he's pretty mobile, and perhaps the most obvious one, he isn't a floor spacer at all, which really limits Boston's offense.
What should the Celtics do with Neemias Queta?
In theory, Queta deserves another year to prove his worth. He stepped up when the Celtics desperately needed him to, and the fact that he only got better over the course of the season means he should only continue to get better from here on out.
If the former second-round pick is the Celtics' starting center on opening night next season, I'll be happy about that, and you should be, too. Sure, it would be wise for the team to do their due diligence and see if they can find an upgrade. But Queta took a big step and showcased his talents, and there is a lot to like what he brings to the table in Boston (and that includes his incredibly team-friendly contract).
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