Last season, Neemias Queta proved himself to be a rock-solid screen-setter for the Celtics on and off the ball. We figured he and the team would lean into that strength even more, but I’m not sure anyone quite realized to what extent that would take shape.
As Nekias Duncan of Yahoo! Sports pointed out on Monday, Queta has set more flare screens by himself than all but eight teams in the NBA. That’s a crazy stat for one player, but it’s even crazier considering Neemy has only played 218 out of a possible 480 minutes for the Celtics so far this season.
Queta's activity away from the ball is nonstop
His 59 flare screens are a whopping number, and it shows that he is racing around whenever he’s on the court and taking every possible opportunity to knock a defender off their spot and free up one of his teammates for an open shot or cut.
Queta is mostly mentioned for his defense, which is excellent, but he deserves a ton of credit for the work he has done on the offensive end. He may not have a conventionally elite skill set for a big man; he doesn’t space the floor with shooting, he doesn’t put it on the floor, and he’s not going to kill you with post-ups and footwork.
But he has a relentless motor and a big, athletic body, which he is using to the fullest. It’s not a coincidence that Boston has a 127.5 offensive rating when Queta is on the floor, which would be the best mark in the NBA by far, and that number falls to 112.3 when he’s off the court, which would barely crack the top 20.
Queta is juicing the offense without touching the ball
Neemy may not be the guy making the shots, but he’s helping to create a lot of them. Boston’s offense has been predicated on movement, spacing, and passing. Queta being able to fly around away from the play and help free up his teammates is creating major problems for defenses, and they’re having trouble staying attached to the real scoring threats for the Celtics.
It has also been great to see Queta adding some things to his arsenal, which will make it even harder for teams to adjust. He has already made more threes this season than in the rest of his career combined, and he has had some nice finishes around the rim as well. So, if teams start to catch on to his screening, he can always cut to the ball and make himself an option.
The development is fun to watch, and it still feels like this Celtics offense is just getting started. The more comfortable Queta gets and his teammates get around him, the more things should open up for everyone and Boston should be able to reach an even higher level on the offensive side of the ball.
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