Despite getting ejected in their final group stage game, Neemias Queta managed to help lift his Portugal squad to its first knockout stage appearance in EuroBasket history. Unfortunately, Portugal drew Germany, an extremely stacked roster, in the first round, meaning ex-Celtics big man Daniel Theis could be in line to crush Queta’s dreams.
Led by Theis, Franz Wagner, and Dennis Schroder, Germany has one of the best rosters at EuroBasket and is a real threat to win the entire competition. They’ve been a staple of international basketball for years, and considering Portugal’s history (or lack thereof), defeat seems inevitable for Queta’s side.
Quetta and Portugal will have to pull off a miracle if they want to win.
Why is Neemias Queta destined to lose to Daniel Theis?
The harsh reality of the situation is that Portugal just doesn’t have enough talent on the roster to compete with the roster of Germany. Outside of Queta, they don’t have any NBA guys. Meanwhile, Germany is full to the brim of current and former NBA talent.
Outside of the top three of Schroder, Wagner, and Theis, there are plenty of other players to watch out for as well. Tristan Da Silva and Isaac Bonga make up one current and one former NBA guy, and Andreas Obst is one of the most lethal three-point shooters on the international stage.
Though Theis departed from the NBA midway through last year, he’s a staple of Germany’s lineup, churning out efficient performance after efficient performance.
Meanwhile, Queta is slated to be the Celtics’ starting center heading into next season and is an absolute superstar for Portugal. Unfortunately, his team just doesn’t have the roster to compete at the highest levels of the competition.
Portugal finished fourth in their group in the first stage of the tournament, as they were given the tough task of having to play the likes of Nikola Jokic and Serbia, Alperen Sengun and Turkey, and Kristaps Porzingis and Latvia.
All three of those games were losses, but a win over the Czech Republic and a down-to-the-wire victory over Estonia in their final match led to them advancing.
A win over Germany would be historic for Portugal. They are already staring down their first-ever knockout stage game in team history, so to pair it with their first knockout stage win would be a bonus (especially considering who they are facing).
And if Queta can help lead them there, it would be one of the most impressive feats at this year’s EuroBasket competition.