Joe Mazzulla explains intense moment with Neemias Queta as huge compliment

With Jaylen Brown out for the second straight night, the Boston Celtics had to switch up their starting lineup. But rather than going with Luke Kornet again, the Celtics rolled out Neemias Queta on Monday night against the Atlanta Hawks. It was the first start of the big man’s career, but he got off to a rocky start.

A few miscues on the defensive end were enough for Queta to get yanked, as Joe Mazzulla inserted Xavier Tillman in his place at the 7:19 mark of the first. As Queta walked back to the bench, Mazzulla ripped into him. He was intensely coaching up the 25-year-old center, but only because he wants him to be great.

At least, that’s how Mazzulla sees it.

How great can Neemias Queta be?

After the game, Mazzulla spoke about the moment with Queta on the sidelines. He said that he holds Queta to a “high standard.” (via Bobby Manning of CLNS Media)

“He’s grown a lot as a player,” Mazzulla said. “And quite honestly, he doesn’t know how great he can be. He’s got a great ceiling, so the standard’s very high. And I thought he did some great things for us tonight. But when you’re as good as he could be, we all got to hold him to that standard every single night. 

“So, it’s a credit to him for just allowing us to coach him [and] it’s a credit to the guys for supporting him. But you see what he’s capable of when he’s at his best, and he can be a real asset for us throughout the season. He works really hard, he cares, and I’m grateful he allows me to coach him. He’s starting to realize how good he really can be, and he’s working at it.”

Outside of some defensive struggles guarding drives, Queta’s rocky start was masked by a solid performance. A monster put-back jam highlighted a 10-point, seven-rebound performance from Queta.

During the preseason, Queta looked a step behind Kornet and Xavier Tillman. And while Kornet may still be the more reliable option, Queta’s upside has shone through in a big way throughout the first stretch of the season.

His athletic ability is evident as he soars through the sky for lobs and contests opposing players around the rim. Queta’s massive presence in the paint has proven to be a very valuable tool for Boston to deploy.

And if he keeps letting Mazzulla coach him as much as he sees fit, the sky’s the limit for the Portuguese center.