Celtics Roll Past Hawks in First Start for Neemias Queta

ATLANTA — Neemias Queta nearly watched his first career start go sideways only five minutes in. After a lead pass flew ahead of him and out-of-bounds, he walked to the bench where Joe Mazzulla met him, waving both hands as he yelled toward the big man. Xavier Tillman Sr. checked in with the Celtics only ahead 15-13.

“He was just trying to hold me accountable,” Queta said. “He felt like I was always a step behind in the first few plays … it happens sometimes.”

Earlier in the day, Queta recalled his arrival in Boston with CLNS Media late in the 2023 offseason after the Kings waived him to sign Javale McGee. His mind moved a million miles per hour, trying to catch up with the Celtics’ complicated defensive system.

That process continues, Boston using him in various roles to see which one fits. He’s shown promise as a roaming help defender, and emerged as one of the league’s top offensive rebounders per 36 minutes through expanded minutes with Kristaps Porziņģis out. Across the 17 minutes that follow his pulling, Boston outscored Atlanta by 31 points while Queta put up 10 points, seven rebounds, one steal and a block while shooting 4-of-7. A running two-handed put back slam where he levitated to follow Al Horford’s missed impressed most.

“I enjoy playing next to Neemy,” Horford said on Monday morning. “He has good energy. He’s really continuing to learn. When you have that mindset as a player, it’s a really good one … I’m just trying to help him when I’m out there as much as I can on the defensive end, and trying to give him some perspective offensively, but it’s been fun having him on the floor. At Charlotte, that put-back with the one-handed dunk. He’ll do one thing to really impress you.”

Queta is tied for eighth in offensive rebounds per 36 minutes (5.2), with 11.9 total and 14.8 points per 36. He’s shooting 66.7% from the field and has hit all his free throws, becoming an early season revelation for a Celtics team needing front court depth and more Horford and Tillman minutes at the four with Sam Hauser and now Jaylen Brown missing time. Brown sat for a second straight night with a hip flexor strain and Mazzulla decided to start Queta as a credit to his growth this year and a reminder of how good he can be.

That also involved holding him to a high standard. Despite dunking and finishing a post hook over Jalen Johnson, several lapses on defense led to his removal. He returned alongside Payton Pritchard, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday in a three-guard lineup that would switch and ask more of him defensively. He forced two misses when switched onto Trae Young, who tried to attack him three times. That perimeter prowess flashes consistently with him, as does some vision with the ball in his hands on offense and an offensive rebounding ability that Mazzulla jokingly credited to his nine-foot wingspan.

“He quite honestly doesn’t know how good he could be,” Mazzulla said. “He’s got a great ceiling, and so the ceiling is very high. I thought he did some great things for us tonight, but when you’re as good as he can be, we all gotta hold him to that standard every night … you see what he’s capable of when he’s at his best and he can be a real asset for us … he’s starting to realize how good he really can be, and he’s working at it.”

Mazzulla didn’t tell Queta he would start, though he assumed it from his role in the morning walkthrough. He never knows what the team will ask for him, which is part of the ongoing challenge. Mazzulla noted the grey area that exists in their defense depending on matchups and even what individual players who have grown used to playing with each other see.

Queta hasn’t had as many reps with the other Celtics, and after playing drop coverage for most of his career prior, began switching, changing matchups and most recently becoming a help defender. Charles Lee recalled that it being a learning prowess for Queta and while he didn’t push back, they saw the challenge he went through.

“He worked so hard at, ‘now all of a sudden I gotta guard a point guard and I gotta be up in touch,’ and that’s not up, where he usually is,” Lee said. “There was a lot for him to learn … as soon as he opened up, something clicked and he’s taken off … he’s a load down there. I’ve been really excited to follow his growth and progress.”

The Hawks felt that midway through the third quarter when he flew in for the put-back following Horford’s miss and plays later grabbed an offensive rebound that set him up for a dunk following Horford’s jump ball win. He blocked Dyson Daniels and exited the game with a 30-point lead.

The night didn’t begin that way. Johnson challenged the Celtics’ interior defense throughout the first half, leading a 16-for-26 effort inside the paint after an 11-for-15 start around the rim. Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu remained similar athletic challenges that they were when the Hawks beat the Celtics in back-to-back games late in March. Luke Kornet’s drop defense didn’t hold up against Atlanta’s hard drives, rolls and cuts. Despite limiting the Hawks’ three-point attempts, Mazzulla sounded frustrated with the early rim protection.

That made the different dynamic Queta brought to the front court important. He’s bringing extra pounds, pressure on defensive rebounders by attacking from different angles and an upside the Celtics are believing in.

“Neemy’s our most athletic big,” White joked before the game. “I don’t think that’s controversial. Sorry Luke.”