Why was there so much uncertainty surrounding the Boston Celtics coming into this season? 1. Jayson Tatum, for obvious reasons. 2. Their frontcourt got decimated over the offseason, as they lost their three best bigs: Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet.
That left Neemias Queta as their de facto No. 1 big, and after his second season in Boston, many gritted their teeth at the notion. Queta flashed his talent when the Celtics thrust him into bigger roles, but he was extremely inconsistent. One game he looked fantastic (think Golden State), but it wouldn't be too long before he looked terribly outmatched (think Cleveland).
This season, Queta has dispelled every single doubt about him. His rim protection, switchability, lob threat presence, and his finishing around the rim in the post or in pick and roll has been about as close to exceptional as Boston could have hoped for. He's been so good that NBA observers are giving up his due.
The Ringer released an updated Top 100 today, and Queta made the list. He was ranked No. 99, but still, that's a huge deal and is conclusive proof of the kind of season he's had in his third year as a Celtic.
Queta got props for simply becoming a dependable big man
Why did The Ringer rank the Celtics starting center so high? Here's how Rob Mahoney explained it.
"It’s amazing how much Queta has been able to accomplish this season by just doing his job and making himself available. Creating real contact on a screen and rolling to the rim? What a concept! Sealing the defender in his path to make it that much easier to receive a pass inside? Revolutionary! Even in this age of aliens and unicorns, it pays to have a big man do traditional big man things—especially when the big in question has good touch, shows sound instincts, and can hold his own on both ends of the floor."
It's a fair assessment of Queta. There's nothing really about Queta that makes him "special" but in a way, that's what makes his development fit the profile as special. He's not some dead-eye sniper like Porzingis or an expert playmaker like Horford. Queta has been good by simply sticking to what Boston has asked him to do.
Mahoney also went on to praise Boston for letting Queta take the time he needed to become the player he has.
"The payoff for patience. It’s one thing to have scouts who can identify real talent, and quite another to have the system in place to let that talent grow. The best organizations give the players they believe in space to develop on their own terms."
The Celtics' frontcourt situation was a justifiable concern going into this season. It's not like Queta had proven nothing, but his flaws stood out like a sore thumb. It's clear from his leap this season that he worked on it, and now, he's not just a fill-in starting center on a retooling team.
He's the best big man on one of the NBA's best teams, no matter how outlandish that may sound.