“MVP” chants rang around TD Garden as Neemias Queta headed to the free-throw line with 5:12 to play in the Boston Celtics’ 114-98 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics’ starting center scored his 19th point of the night en route to a new career-high of 27.
That wasn’t what he remembered from that moment, however. Queta held on to the inability to score his 20th point on the same trip, as his second free-throw rolled off the rim.
“Yeah, that wasn't great, man. I got distracted,” Queta joked with reporters in the locker room. “Missed a couple of free throws, so I’ve got to work on that.”
If there's one thing about Neemias Queta, it's that he puts in the work
Though his comment came in jest, there’s almost certainly some seriousness behind it. There’s a reason why Queta’s grown into a starting-caliber center in Boston after being cut by the Sacramento Kings in 2023.
“You have to have a level of gratitude and appreciation for how he's worked,” Joe Mazzulla praised postgame. “But not just this year. I mean, he’s been here for three, four years, right? So the process of what he's gone through to earning what he's got is really what I care about.”
He hasn’t gotten caught up in his success and still looks to improve every day.
“Well, he's got to keep it going,” Mazzulla emphasized following Queta’s 27-point, 17-rebound performance. “He has a responsibility now to continue to get better, regardless of the process. Now, in less than 24 hours, we play again.”
Mazzulla’s perpetual hunger for improvement goes a long way for someone like Queta. Even when he’s being showered with MVP chants, he’s thinking about what he could’ve done better.
“That's huge,” he said of the consistent pressure. “Like, it’s easy when you have a night like this to like, settle down…when Joe comes, keeps coming at you like that, you're only going to get better.”
Queta is averaging career-highs almost completely across the board this season at 10.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. His commitment to improvement over the past few seasons prepared him to take his opportunity to start in stride.
Queta showed out against Andre Drummond, one of his mentors
Ironically, Neemi's massive night came against Andre Drummond, a player who he's turned to for advice because of their similar playstyles.
“Every time I can get somebody's advice on how I can get better, I'm just trying to do that so I can improve.," Queta explained. "He's been always on my side on that type of stuff…I appreciate him for that. That’s my guy.”
Drummond beamed about Queta's mosnter game, even though he wished it didn't come against him.
"It was s---y that it happened against me," he joked with reporters in the 76ers locker room (via CLNS Media). "But whatever. It is what it is. He had a good game. I told him after the game. I said, 'build on this. You should feel good about yourself. You played well. Do it again.'"
Drummond added that Queta has consistently asked him for tidbits of advice in the past whenever they'd face off.
EuroBasket served as a launch pad for Queta's lift-off
As Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, and Al Horford headed to new homes, the fanbase worried that frontcourt depth would be a problem for Boston. All Mazzulla did was call Queta to let him know that the starting job would be his this year.
“Part of telling him in the summer that he was going to be the starting center was giving him the time to properly wrap his mind around physically, mentally and emotionally prepare himself for whatever needs to be the starting center for the Celtics.”
That call, according to Queta, came before he started his EuroBasket run with Portugal. As he led his home nation to a knockout stage appearance for the first time in competition history, he was able to build confidence and fine tune his game to be ready for the opportunity in Boston.
“Playing for Portugal was huge for me,” he shared. “This summer, it allowed me to get a lot of rhythm, allowed me to get a lot of confidence too. From that point on, it was just like a building stage.”
His 15.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 1.0 steals per outing set the tone heading into training camp with the Cs. Queta’s improvements, however, go beyond the statsheet. His feel for the game sharpened significantly, which has enabled him to play so many minutes while making few mistakes this season.
“So it was like a big summer for me in terms of fine tuning, a bunch of different stuff,” he continued. “Like we worked on all types of aspects rebounding, we worked on pick and roll defense, we worked on matchup recognition. It was a big summer for me.”
Queta’s defensive IQ has gone a long way. He gives Boston a legitimate paint presence, deterring opposing players from attacking the rim. The Celtics are almost seven points better on defense per 100 possessions with Queta on the floor.
His impact doesn’t stop there, either. It’s tough not to mention how important his screen-setting has been for the team’s scoring. He consistently frees up his teammates with strong picks and helps the offense flow.
Even so, the messaging remains the same -- keep leveling up.
“He's continuing to get better,” Mazzulla said. “But, you gotta put your head down. You gotta chip away. You gotta have a level of professionalism, work ethic, understanding. He's brought all that on. He's had great ownership and responsibility to what calls for to be a starting center for the Celtics. He's going to continue to get better. And you know, he works at it. He cares.”