The Boston Celtics are supposedly in the midst of a transition year, what with Jayson Tatum forecast to be out until March at least. Yet the Cs are, up to this point, in the running to make the playoffs and not the lottery. A big reason Boston continues to be competitive is big man Neemas Queta.
The 6-foot-10 center has made big strides this season, leaning on his above-average athleticism, explosiveness at the rim, and relentless motor in anchoring the Celtics’ interior game.
Queta isn’t quite on that All-Star level just yet, though. But he is fast proving to be a reliable rebounder, an elite rim protector, and a superb rim-runner. He has also displayed a steadily advancing skillset on both ends that has made him an invaluable part of these Celtics.
To be clear, Queta has a long way to go before being in star conversations. But he is making big leaps towards it this season and has shown he has the tools to be one of the NBA’s better bigs.
