The Celtics certainly don’t have the sexiest frontcourt in the league, and Neemias Queta isn’t jumping off the page when people read the team’s lineup. But perhaps that should be changing. It only took a handful of games for Queta to quickly reclaim his starting spot, and the team continues to dominate when he’s on the court.
That’s especially true on the defensive end, as Queta has been a complete menace patrolling the paint. It pops just watching him fly around on the television screen, but the numbers back it up even further.
Justin Pinnix, of Hoopology, charted the rim deterrence vs. offensive rim difference in field goal percentage when big men are on and off the court for different teams. Deterrence is measured by the on/off swing in opponents’ rim frequency when players are on the court. The combination gives us a great measure of which centers are best at taking away rim attempts and making opponents avoid them altogether.
And in what should be a surprise to nobody, Queta is right at the top of the chart. He’s above average when it comes to deterrence, but he’s absolutely elite when it comes to protection, right up there with Rudy Gobert and Donovan Clingan, the three best in the NBA currently, just ahead of known defensive dynamos like Victor Wembanyama and Walker Kessler.
Queta is becoming one of the best defensive bigs in the NBA
This was what we saw last season from Queta in his breakout campaign, and at this point, it’s time to realize this is no fluke; it’s just who Neemy is. He’s one of the better defensive centers in the entire league, and should be treated as such. Boston had a top-5 defense last year, and they’re on pace to do so again, and it’s largely thanks to Queta manning the back line.
When the Celtics lost Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kornet in one fell swoop two summers ago, there was a lot of concern over the future of the Celtics’ center room. KP was a shot-blocking machine, Horford was one of the best switchers and all-around defenders of any bigs, and Kornet became a space-eater down low.
And still, the Celtics have barely skipped a beat on defense, and Queta has emerged as a real weapon on that end of the floor. He doesn’t have the switchability of Horford, and he doesn’t have the highlight-reel blocks of Porzingis, but he does a little bit of everything, and he does it extremely well. Add his high motor, athleticism, and smarts on that end, and we’re seeing Queta grow into one of the best defensive centers in the NBA.
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