Inside The Celtics

Video: Boston Celtics Center's Development On Display In ONE Play vs. Miami

Neemias Queta has made a lot of strides, learning little things that improve his chances to score and open things up for his teammates. One play against Miami showed just how much progress he's made in one particular area.
John Karalis|
Jan 19, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) rebounds the ball in the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Jan 19, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) rebounds the ball in the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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Boston Celtics

Neemias Queta continues to make great strides, taking advantage of the opportunity given to him this season to go from a sometimes unplayable center to a big contributor to the Celtics. Where once there were murmurs that Boston’s frontcourt would be the worst in the league, now there is a second seed whose success can be credited, in part, to Queta’s tremendous improvement. 

We can see it how he operates in the pick-and-roll and how he has learned to roam the baseline, read his guards, and give them outlets. On top of being a very strong rim protector (he is eighth in the NBA in block percentage), Queta has grown into a valuable part of the offense. 

Every so often, a play stands out that highlights his growth as a player. One play in particular against the Miami Heat did just that, but before we get to the “after” picture, we have to look at the before. 

December 11 against Milwaukee. Queta took a dump-off from Jordan Walsh and tried to finesse a layup on the other side of the rim. He was swallowed up and got lucky that Walsh was able to finish the play. However, it showed a weakness of Queta’s in a critical area of the floor. 

The dunker spot, where Queta caught the ball, is a necessary safety valve for players driving into the paint. Sometimes, in the past, the Celtics have put a guard in that spot to have a smaller defender who is less likely to challenge a shot at the rim in the area. But often, that's where a non-shooting big man operates so he can catch a quick bounce pass from the ball-handler once the big’s man rotates over to stop the drive. 

At that point, finishing those plays off with a basket, or, as the name of the spot would suggest, a dunk, becomes a critical skill. Queta’s choice to finesse the ball against Milwaukee stood out as an area for improvement. 

Fast forward to the win over Miami Friday night. 

First, Queta showcases his growing ability to read the guard and find spots to (a) get out of the way and (b) give the guard a window for a pass. He originally went for the dunker spot but read that Derrick White was doing a Steve Nash dribble down the baseline and back out. There was a brief opening for a pocket pass and a Queta floater, which White missed. 

Instead, White flipped it to Payton Pritchard for a secondary attack. Queta then got to the dunker spot, where Pritchard found him. 

This time, Queta showed great technique with a dribble, stepped into Kel’el Ware’s body to create space, and then finished on the left side of the rim. 

This is textbook technique for finishing in this situation. He used his body well, bumped the opposing big away from the rim using his backside, and then used that space he created to finish where it couldn’t be blocked. 

It’s a simple play, but little things like this mean points on the board. But more than that, it means he needs to be respected in that spot. 

The scouting report might have said not to worry about him as much in the dunker spot because he’s not a great finisher down there, but learning this technique changes that. If his ability to finish this play means an opposing center has to be more hesitant about leaving him, then that could mean openings for Jaylen Brown or other drivers to finish at the rim. 

Little things mean a lot. Queta has done a good job of learning a lot of these little things to improve as a player and become an important part of the Celtics offense. 

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John Karalis
JOHN KARALIS

John Karalis is a 20-year veteran of Celtics coverage and was nominated for NSMA's Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year in 2019. He has hosted the Locked On Celtics podcast since 2016 and has written two books about the Celtics. John was born and raised in Pawtucket, RI. He graduated from Shea High School in Pawtucket, where he played football, soccer, baseball, and basketball and was captain of the baseball and basketball teams. John graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism and was a member of their Gold Key Honor Society. He was a four-year starter and two-year captain of the Men’s Basketball team, and remains one of the school's top all-time scorers, and Emerson's all-time leading rebounder. He is also the first Emerson College player to play professional basketball (Greece). John started his career in television, producing and creating shows since 1997. He spent nine years at WBZ, launching two different news and lifestyle shows before ascending to Executive Producer and Managing Editor. He then went to New York, where he was a producer and reporter until 2018. John is one of Boston’s original Celtics bloggers, creating RedsArmy.com in 2006. In 2018, John joined the Celtics beat full-time for MassLive.com and then went to Boston Sports Journal in 2021, where he covered the Celtics for five years. He has hosted the Locked On Celtics podcast since 2016, and it currently ranks as the #1 Boston Celtics podcast on iTunes and Spotify rankings. He is also one of the co-hosts of the Locked on NBA podcast.

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