[2023/...] Neemias Queta #88
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Every NBA Team's Hidden Gem Who Needs More Respecthttps://bleacherreport.com/articles/10109912-every-nba-teams-hidden-gem-who-needs-more-respectA 7'0" center whom the Sacramento Kings picked 39th overall in the 2021 draft,
's size and athleticism are double-take inducing. He moves more quickly than you'd expect for someone his size, but he still manages to play with extreme force.
In addition to the occasional highlight, Queta tops all Boston players with 5.1 screen assists and 13.1 screen assist points per 36 minutes. That's another way of saying his involvement in pick-and-roll sets and as a road block for teammates coming off pindowns is a real asset. his plus-19.1 on-court net rating is by far the best of any Celtic who's played at least 200 minutes.
Defensively, Queta holds opponents to 55.4 percent shooting inside six feet. Though admittedly amassed at much lower volume, that figure is roughly in line with those produced by Brook Lopez and Jaren Jackson Jr. and significantly better than noted rim-protectors like Myles Turner, Jarrett Allen and Anthony Davis.
Queta hasn't played more than 15 minutes in a game since December, and the trade-deadline acquisition of Xavier Tillman adds another big man ahead of him on a crowded depth chart. With that said, he's made a habit of doing a lot with a little playing time.
Maybe Queta will continue to be a quietly excellent per-play contributor even as his role shrinks down the stretch.