We’re about two months away from the first Boston Celtics preseason game in early October. Many Celtics fans are out enjoying the nice weather (or staying inside if they’re in the southern hemisphere), but for those who have the basketball itch, there is some good news.
The EuroBasket tournament will tip off at the end of this month, and Celtics center Neemias Queta will be suiting up for his native Portugal, he told CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning.
Queta also revealed that he underwent a procedure on his left knee back in May, but stressed that he’ll be ready to go when Portugal opens play against the Czech Republic on Aug. 27.
Portugal and 23 other nations will make up four groups of six during the tournament’s Group Stage. The top four countries in each group move on to a 16-team Knockout Tournament, which begins on Sept. 6 and runs through the final on Sept. 17.
Queta will compete against other NBAers like former Celtic Kristaps Porzingis (Latvia), Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Luka Doncic (Slovenia), and Franz Wagner (Germany), who are expected to play in this year's tournament.
EuroBasket is a great tune-up for Neemias Queta ahead of an important season with the Celtics
It’ll be a nice first look at Queta post-surgery, and could be a nice tone setter ahead of an important year for Neemi.
The big man is set to play a major role in Boston’s rotation this season, after the departures of Porzingis, Luke Kornet, and presumably Al Horford, who has been heavily linked to the Golden State Warriors in free agency.
As of now, it looks like Queta will be the starting center on opening night, after being third or fourth in the rotation throughout last season. He was, however, pretty decent in his six starts in the 2024-25 campaign, averaging 9.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. He played nearly double his season average in minutes in those starts, but the increase in stats was encouraging for sure. Although the uptick should be taken with a grain of salt, considering those games came late in the season when many teams were resting rotation regulars.
It sounds a bit ridiculous, but the 26-year-old is going to be pivotal in whatever success this edition of the Celtics has. With all of the changes, plus the absence of a recovering Jayson Tatum, Boston’s rotation is significantly weaker than it’s been in recent years. Their least solidified position is the center spot, but if Neemi is ready for the opportunity that awaits him, then he could prove to be a solution to the glaring issue.