Cracking the rotation: how does Neemias Queta get playing time

The Celtics are one of the deepest teams in the NBA, maybe most so with their big men rotation. They’re going to need every bit of that depth early-on this season. Over the summer, the Celtics have seen three of their big men get surgery – Xavier Tillman with a knee scope, Luke Kornet with a wrist operation, and, most notably, Kristaps Porzingis having surgery to repair his torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon.

Porzingis is the only one who is expected to miss time, with his return scheduled for some time in December. Brad Stevens gave positive updates on the three of them, noting that Kornet and Tilman will be ready to go for training camp, and that Porzingis has been progressing well in his rehab.

With Al Horford expected to take the starting spot in Porzingis’s absence, the bench rotation opens up quite a bit. Assuming Luke and Xavier are good to go, they’ll be expected to take the majority of those minutes, though neither has solidified themselves as being the clear-cut “best” option, and it is still possible that they need time to ramp up as the season gets underway. That leaves the door open for Neemias Queta to earn meaningful minutes.

During his Media Day interview with NBC Sports Boston, Kayla Burton asked Neemi how he takes advantage of the opportunity. “Obviously, it starts with the preparation you do in the summer. Knowing how much better you can get and just working hard during the summer knowing that you get a bigger opportunity this year,” he told her. He continued by saying, “the mindset is to go in there and just help the team win in any type of way. Whether it’s playing 2 minutes, whether it’s playing 40 minutes, it can all go up and down so I’m just prepared for any type of play that’s thrown my way.”

Queta is just 25 years old, and after joining the Celtics on a two-way contract this past year, Brad Stevens signed him to a multi-year deal shortly before the playoffs. The team is clearly investing in him – now is his time to show us that they’re making the right choice.

With Neemias splitting time between Maine and Boston, his NBA minutes mostly came in blowouts. He played just under 12 minutes per game across 28 games, averaging 5.5 points, 4.4 boards, and 0.8 blocks. He did that while only attempting 3.7 FG per game on 64.4% shooting. He’s been an excellent rebounder, an athletic finisher, and can be a great rim protector.

The potential is clearly there, but Neemy still has a lot of work to put in before he can be seen as a reliable option. The two greatest weaknesses in his game right now are his offensive capabilities when he’s not at the rim, his ability to switch on defense, and his overall basketball IQ and game feel.

According to tracking data, Queta only attempted 2 of his 104 shots from outside of the paint last season. Both were catch-and-shoot mid-range shots, and both were straight cash, surprisingly. He has great overall efficiency, thanks in part to him being such a lob threat, as well as his ability to grab offensive boards and go back up quickly with them, though he struggles at creating his own shots at the rim. Neemy could benefit from adding on a bit of muscle, but maybe more importantly, by developing a bit more poise around the rim, he could find himself taking higher quality shots.

With his efficiency, developing an outside game isn’t a necessity, though it could definitely serve him and the team well. A semi-reliable mid-range shot would open up the court and allow the team to increase their spacing. The way Bam Adebayo has grown his game is a perfect example of what Neemias should try to emulate.

As for the defensive end of the court, I wouldn’t expect any center to be as versatile as Adebayo, but him and Anthony Davis set the gold standard for how to be an elite defender at the five position while handling all the switches of the modern NBA. Neemy is an excellent shot blocker, but he can struggle to keep up with switches and perimeter defense. He can learn a lot from Bam and AD by studying their body positioning, their ability to read offenses, and slowing down the game for himself.

Neemy was able to identify the deficiencies in his game, and looked to address them over the offseason. In his interview with NBCS Boston, Eddie House asked Queta what he added to his bag this summer. He answered, “I feel like being able to switch defensively, become more versatile offensively, extend your game – your range, too. So, I feel like being able to become more versatile in my game, that can help you stay on the court for longer.”

By watching his own film from previous games, he says he can break down the technicalities on both ends of the court, and can get a better understanding on how to cut down on turnovers and fouls, learn how to switch better, and begin to ingrain the muscle memory on how to improve in these departments when he gets on the court.

Having one more offseason under his belt likely isn’t going to make a drastic impact on Neemias’ overall game. That being said, the little things add up. Having more game film from previous years, as well now having an opportunity to get meaningful minutes early on can be a real difference maker in his development. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were both high picks with high expectations, but they both undoubtedly benefited from being forced into bigger roles early in their careers while the Celtics were dealing with injuries. This may be the golden opportunity for Queta to play with the core guys and level up his game to meet the team’s needs.

EDIT:

We’re now on day 4 of Celtics training camp, and with that we get a new look at Neemias Queta expanding his game by expanding his range.

Queta has clearly been putting work into his shot, and it seems like becoming a stretch-five is a real point of emphasis for him and the team. I wouldn’t expect him to be taking multiple threes a game each night out, but being able to trust him to knock down the occasional corner shot when he’s open is a great weapon to have in the arsenal.

We heard Xavier Tilman telling Eddie House how Jaylen Brown encouraged him to trust in his shot and “let it fly” after seeing the work that Tilman was putting in. With the way Queta looked in practice, I’m sure he’s going to be hearing a similar message soon enough if he’s not already.

Neemias also spent some time talking to the media after practice, and was asked about what he’s looking to do to fill in for Porzingis, and who has been helping him to get there.

He seems to be taking things with a very level-headed approach, understanding his role and what it takes to stay on the court. It also seems like he’s looking to take on longer stretches of play, which could be a great sign for Neemi fans.

Side note, that practice clip is a great depiction of just how high NBA level basketball is. Queta isn’t regarded as a shooter in the NBA by any means (yet), but a 7-footer with a shot that smooth and reliable is a scary thing to witness for a common-man like me.