One of the Boston Celtics' biggest priorities this summer was expected to be finding an upgrade at center. Neemias Queta was mostly really good last year (10.2 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 BPG, 65.3 FG% in 76 games, 75 starts), but he proved that he still has a long way to go before being considered a starting center on a championship-caliber team because of his poor defense in the playoffs.
So did Boston accomplish this goal? That depends on who you ask.
The only moves the team made at center this offseason were signing Mitchell Robinson (who is definitely serviceable and should bolster their center room, but he might not even start over Queta) and drafting Chris Cenac Jr. in the first round (who is probably a year away from being a true contributor, and it still remains to be seen if he's more of a power forward or center at the NBA level).
In my opinion, they didn't get the job done. But Celtics fans should still be excited about Queta's development and what the team's center room will look like next year.
The Celtics couldn't find a clear Neemias Queta upgrade for a reason
He obviously would never be my first pick if I could choose any center to put on this Celtics team, but Queta is still a fantastic player and brings a ton of value.
The Portuguese native has turned into a reliable scorer in the paint, a tenacious rebounder and blocker, and an underrated passer (he also has very promising post moves -- they don't compare to Kevin McHale or Hakeem Olajuwon, but there's still a lot of potential there that Boston needs to unlock). He also has familiarity with most of the team and (in a way) has championship experience since he was on that 2024 team.
In hindsight, it was obvious that Boston was always going to have a hard time finding an upgrade over Queta. There wasn't a serious option at their spot in the draft, and they didn't have any real possibilities on the market (Isaiah Hartenstein and Robert Williams III re-signed with their teams before the start of free agency, and it was going to cost an arm and a leg to get Walker Kessler).
But fans should be fine with that. Queta can play, and he should only get better with another serious role next season. The Celtics know how to get the most out of their players, and that shouldn't be any different this time. And, worst case, if Queta isn't showing the improvements necessary, Boston can roll out Robinson to make up the difference.
The two of them together could be a real force to be reckoned with in Boston. But as it stands, it seems like the starting job is likely Queta's to lose from here on out, and if he can make another jump from last season, then fans should be fine with that.
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