Neemias Queta wants to punish mismatches this season. He is already an excellent screener. The seven-foot center ranked in the top three in screen assists in the 2025-26 campaign.
His size and athleticism make him reliable around the rim. He also finished in the top three in field goal percentage. An underrated part of his game is his ability to beat centers off the dribble when he gets the ball away from the basket. That could be on display more this year.
Making plays and being comfortable with the ball is at the root of the evolution Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla wants to see from Queta.
The next step for Celtics center Neemias Queta offensively
When the Lisbon, Portugal natives bench boss spoke with the media at Day 2 of training camp on Wednesday, he detailed what they worked on when Mazzulla visited him overseas this summer and where he's noticing improvement.
"Making plays. Whether he's in the seam, catching it in the paint versus a small, or just when he has the ball in his hands, something happening and not just getting rid of it because we want something else to go to," shared Mazzulla.
His growing confidence with the ball and increased knack for making the right play are encouraging signs for his continued ascent.
If Queta is punishing mismatches, making plays in the seam, and blowing by opposing centers off the dribble, then a top-10 player at his position last regular season is about to get appreciably better.
How Neemias Queta's offensive growth fits Celtics identity
Boston has built an incredibly dynamic roster. The depth chart is loaded with versatile players who bring skill and intellect. What this team wants to do is take advantage of what the defense gives them.
Instead of being restricted and paying the price for not being able to get to certain strengths, they intend to orchestrate a free-flowing offense. It will be predicated on making the right read.
How does Queta's offensive evolution fit into that?
If he isn't comfortable with the ball, not a threat on short rolls, or can only add value as a lob threat, he's limited. He becomes much easier to take away. That was a problem he ran into during the playoffs at times. The Philadelphia 76ers would clog the paint to protect the basket. That neutralized his impact when rolling to the rim after a screen. Sometimes, it meant his team was better off without him on the floor.
That was also his first season as a starter. Now he gets the chance to build on everything that he learned from that experience. Blossoming into a more dynamic player offensively removes restrictions. It takes away solutions that helped the Sixers slow the Celtics in the playoffs. Good luck to the opposition if that formula no longer works.
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