Celtics center Neemias Queta had 27 points and 17 rebounds (10 offensive) in Sunday's 114-98 win over the 76ers at TD Garden.
Celtics center Neemias Queta had 27 points and 17 rebounds (10 offensive) in Sunday's 114-98 win over the 76ers at TD Garden.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
The transformation of Neemias Queta into a quality NBA center, a byproduct of Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens taking a chance on the Kings castoff and the coaching staff working feverishly over the past few seasons on his development, has been one of the biggest reasons for the Celtics’ surprising success.
He was handed the responsibility of being an NBA starter because the Celtics couldn’t afford to keep the three big men ahead of him in their quest to shave payroll to secure long-term flexibility. They needed Queta to respond to the moment, to emerge as a consistent and reliable rebounder, defender and occasional scorer.
Not only has that occurred, but he has also responded favorably to the club acquiring another quality big to join him, which has cut into his playing time.
On Sunday at TD Garden, Queta was the best player on the floor against the Philadelphia 76ers, showing the sold-out crowd and a national TV audience the fruits of his labor, the results of his hard work in empty gyms with only his position coach.
The Celtics’ 114-98 win over the 76ers was highlighted by a series of graceful and captivating plays by Queta on his way to a 27-point, 17-rebound performance, the best game of his basketball career.
It was his night when he took a pocket pass from Derrick White 19 feet from the basket, took a rhythm dribble, and then skipped to the basket for an easy layup. It was his night when he took a fast-break pass from Payton Pritchard and then proceeded full speed to split two defenders for another layup.
It was his night when he rose up after grabbing a fumbled ball and flipped it into the bucket despite VJ Edgecombe holding down his right arm.
For a Celtics organization that must rely on development because they have two max salary players and a $28 million player on their payroll, this performance was especially rewarding. Because of the league’s salary constraints generated by the recent collective bargaining agreement, NBA teams are searching for cheaper alternatives who can work to develop into quality NBA starters.
Sam Hauser is a recent example. Ron Harper Jr. is another. Queta may be the top beneficiary of the organization’s dedication because he plays one of the more difficult and demanding positions. Queta had played just 20 NBA games before he was signed to a two-way contract five days after being dumped by the Kings in September 2023, and his ascension has been prominent over the past few seasons, especially this one.
“Now, it goes into, like, having a level of just gratitude, appreciation, you know?” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said of Queta’s rise. “ And I think it’s part of when I look at that, I don’t look at just him. I look at the staff. I look at the (G-League) Maine staff, look at the system and the identity and the process that we have. There’s a lot of people that go into where he’s at now. You have to give him credit. Telling him in the summer that he was going to be the starting center was giving him the time to properly wrap his mind around, physically, mentally, emotionally prepare himself for what it means.
“And he’s taken on that ownership and responsibility. Well, he’s got to keep it going. He has a responsibility now to continue to get better, regardless of the process. But he cares about winning. He cares about getting better.”
This breakout game didn’t occur in some meaningless situation against a tanking opponent. The Celtics needed every Queta bucket, rebound, and blocked shot to hold off the feisty 76ers, who were without Joel Embiid and Paul George.
There has been times during the past few years where Queta has been outfoxed by 14-year veteran Andre Drummond, one of the best rebounders of this generation. But Queta dominated the matchup this time, was the more active and passionate player, and played with the confidence gained by being thrown into the fire.
“I feel like [Mazzulla] was depositing his trust in me and just having my back through it all,” Queta said. “It wasn’t the easiest summer for me but he was always there and trying to get me as confident as I could so I could get out here and help us win.”
Whether a player improves or not mainly depends on their work ethic. NBA teams will provide all of the facilities, coaches, and training aids for a player to improve his game, but the player has to want to improve, he has to avoid complacency or satisfaction with just making the league, and take the necessary steps to stay here.
The Celtics have moved on from development players over the years because they lacked the drive or their improvement curve flattened. Queta, on the other hand, has made marked strides from the bit player during the 2023-24 championship season into a respectable starting center that has the ability to win his 1-on-1 battles on most nights.
He prevailed easily on Sunday, giving the Celtics another quality win as they try to claim the No. 2 seed with 25 percent of the season left.
“Just have a level of gratitude and appreciation for how hard he’s worked, but not just this year,” Mazzulla said. “He’s been here for three, four years, so the process of what he’s gone through is really what I care about. But he has to wake up and do it again tomorrow. He cares about working hard and understanding how important what he does for us and for our team. So as long as he stays committed to the process of getting better, it’s important.”
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.