Celtics’ Neemias Queta Reveals Support From Joe Mazzulla

Neemias Queta is heading into arguably the most important season of his career. The 7-foot rim-runner is expected to become the Boston Celtics’ starting big man.

Brad Stevens has overseen a talent drain in the front court. Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet all leaving the franchise. As such, Queta has a golden opportunity to prove himself at the NBA level.

Queta has spent the past few weeks in Europe, playing for the Portuguese national team at the FIBA EuroBasket. The big man thrived as a featured member of Portugal’s offense, leading the team to the knockout stages of the tournament.

In six games, Queta averaged 15.5 points, 8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Unfortunately, Germany eliminated Portugal 85-58.

When speaking to EuroHoops’ Cesare Milanti, Queta shared the support head coach Joe Mazzulla has been providing throughout the summer.

“I spoke with him a couple of times; he is always sending me messages of appreciation, or love, or me getting better,” Queta said. “What he sees in me, what I need to improve on, and that’s a great relationship that we have…It (EuroBasket) was a good opportunity for me to evolve my game and get ready for the next season…I got rested enough this offseason, and I think that I put myself in the best position to have a breakout season. I have the tools to compete with the best.”

Queta will face competition for a starting spot from Luka Garza, Chris Boucher and Xavier Tillman next season.

Celtics Derrick White’ Shares Thoughts on Queta

During a recent episode of the “White Noise” podcast, Celtics guard Derrick White shared his thoughts on Queta receiving an expanded role.

“I think Joe has always been super hard on him for the last couple of years to prepare him for something like this,” White said. “Obviously, he’s going to have to have a big year, and we’re going to ask a lot out of him, which is exciting… He’s a guy who works hard, competes at a high level, and is just continuing to learn what works and what doesn’t in the NBA.”

White continued.

“We’re super excited for Neemias… I’m a big fan; he’s had so many different moments in these last two years. He’s helped us win games, or he’s changed the momentum of a game. It’s a big role for him.”

Queta played in 62 regular-season games in 2024-25. He averaged 5 points and 3.8 rebounds. However, with a bigger role on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how he scales his production.

Porzingis Backs Queta to Shine For Celtics

Kristaps Porzingis has also thrown his support behind Queta. The two went toe-to-toe at the EuroBasket tournament.

“Neemy has been getting better every year,” Porzingis said. “Coach Mazzulla has been pretty tough on him, and I believe he’s getting to a point where he deserves some real minutes, real rotation minutes. He’s been putting in the work, and you can see it in how he’s playing now in this tournament. I’m happy for Neemy. He’s a great dude, really cool person. He puts in the time, he puts in the work, and I’ll be glad to see him get a lot more minutes this year.”

Still, thriving in Europe is different to thriving in the NBA. Therefore, Queta will still need to prove himself for the Celtics. Fortunately for him, he will get every opportunity to showcase his skill set.

However, Celtics fans should have realistic expectations. Therefore, Queta may need some time to adjust to his new role. Hopefully, once he’s adjusted, he will prove he’s capable of being a starting-level NBA center.

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