The Boston Celtics begin their post-All-Star schedule with a four-game road trip, starting Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. The Celtics, who sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with 28 games remaining, are in a much better situation than anyone expected before the season. This naturally raises expectations for this stretch run, especially considering Jayson Tatum’s possible return.
Regardless of whether Tatum returns this season, there is one lesser-known Celtic that will likely determine how far the team goes. Niemias Queta’s name isn’t regularly mentioned among the most important Celtics, but the 26-year-old center will be an X-factor in the final months of the season.
Niemias Queta will be key to Celtics’ playoff success
The Celtics acquired Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline in exchange for Anfernee Simons. Vucevic is better known in NBA circles than Keta, but his defensive deficiencies make him a poor fit for a team aiming for the postseason. The 35-year-old center has very limited playoff experience and a track record of being exploited defensively by high-level competition. While his offensive skill set will be useful in the center rotation, the Celtics will likely rely heavily on Keta at defensive end in the postseason.
Queta has started 50 games for Boston this season, averaging 25.1 minutes per game. Offensively, he’s not a scorer or passer like Vucevic, but he’s a much better defender. In fact, among players who have defended five or more shots per game this season, Keta has the third-lowest field goal percentage from within six feet of the basket at 53 percent. According to NBA.com. Among centers, he ranks only behind front-runner Chet Holmgren for Defensive Player of the Year in this metric.
The Portuguese center’s rim protection was his best skill all season. His 1.3 blocks and 0.9 steals per game highlight his help defensive instincts, and his length makes him a great deterrent around the rim. Additionally, he has enough mobility and lateral quickness for a player his size to stay in front of most big men, making him a modern and versatile defender.
As a result, the Celtics reportedly score 10.9 fewer points per 100 possessions when Keta is on the floor than when he’s not. cleaning the glass. With Queta on the floor, Boston’s defensive rating is 108.2, which ranks second in the league behind OKC’s all-time defensive unit.
Queta has the third-best on/off rating on the team. The Celtics are 6.7 points better per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor, further underscoring his impact.
The Celtics are already a team that boasts an astonishing scoring average of 120.9 this season. This will only be helped by the return of Jayson Tatum. However, they will need to be elite defensively to have a chance at competing for the title. Queta gives them the best chance to become a championship-level defensive unit. Considering the lack of a quality defensive center other than Keta on the roster, it’s safe to assume that the Celtics will live or die depending on Keta.