Celtics fans should be over the moon after latest Neemias Queta performance

Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta kicked off his EuroBasket campaign with a bang, in Portugal’s 62-50 win over Czechoslovakia on Wednesday. Queta absolutely dominated in his debut in the competition, posting 23 points, 18 rebounds, and four blocks while shooting 11-15 from the field.

It was clear that the big man was headed for a big day when he drilled a three-pointer to open the scoring.

With his monster outing, Queta became the first player to log 20+ points and 15+ rebounds in a debut game since 1995, according to EuroBasket’s official social media account.

Neemias Queta's EuroBasket debut precedes what could be a career-defining season in Boston

Even though the Czech time didn’t feature any elite NBA frontcourt talent, Queta’s dominant display was especially encouraging after he underwent surgery on his knee earlier in the summer. Heading into EuroBasket, he had mentioned making sure his knee was alright would be an important goal during the competition.

Health will be a huge factor in what could be a career-defining season for Queta. He’s expected to slide into the starting role for the Celtics this year, after Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, and presumably Al Horford headed to new teams over the summer.

The opportunity should be plentiful for the Lisbon native, and he sounds like he’s ready to make the most of it.

“Obviously, I think it's making sure I get in great shape,” he told CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning earlier this month, when asked about his points of emphasis in the upcoming campaign. “Go out there and make elite decisions with the ball in my hands and making sure I get great finishes this year. I also want to like raise up my free throw attempts this year. Just want to be aggressive and make sure I get my percentage up on the free-throw line, too.”

The 2025-26 campaign will be Queta’s third in Boston. He’s come a long way since joining the team on a two-way contract in the summer of 2023. Last season was a prime example of Queta’s growth as he saw a significant increase in playing time. He suited up in 62 games for the Celtics last season, which is 14 more appearances than he’d had through his entire career to that point.

Queta will have a chance to further build momentum heading into the season on Friday afternoon, when he and Portugal take on the Nikola-Jokic-led Serbian national team. Tip-off for that one will be at 2:15 p.m. ET.