HoopsHype’s new center rankings managed to leave Neemias Queta off the board entirely, and that’s the kind of omission that stops you in your tracks.
It’s one thing to question how much faith to place in Queta after one breakout season. It’s another thing altogether to go through a list of the top 27 centers in the NBA and not find his name anywhere.
That’s not just a snub. It borders on absurd.
Queta’s path has never been the glossy, fast-track kind. He spent years in the G League before finally breaking into an NBA rotation last season.
Then, once he got his chance starting for the Celtics, he made it count. He emerged as one of the league’s better defensive anchors and proved to be one of the most efficient finishers on offense.
The production backed it up. At minimum, the case can be made that he was a top-10 center.
If someone wants to pump the brakes on that, fair enough. But leaving him out of the top 27 altogether makes no sense.
The Celtics did have one center show up on the list: Mitchell Robinson, their new addition. And sure, there’s room to debate who the better overall player is between Robinson and Queta. But Robinson has been more of a part-time bench piece, while Queta started 75 games and logged more than 25 minutes per night.
That’s why it’s hard to buy the idea that Queta is somehow this far off the radar at his position. Even if he regresses a bit, he still looks like a comfortable top-15 big man. And if he keeps climbing the way he has every season of his career, he could wind up clearly inside the top 10.
No one is putting him in the same conversation as Victor Wembanyama or Nikola Jokic. But seeing names like Nic Claxton, Dereck Lively, and Ke’lel Ware on the list while Queta is nowhere to be found is hard to take seriously.
In the end, though, these rankings don’t decide anything. If anything, this is just more fuel for a player who has spent his career being overlooked.
Queta has kept improving, kept proving people wrong, and kept turning himself into a quality starting center. He still has work to do before he gets the respect his game deserves, but the bet here is that he’ll get there.
In Other News...
Celtics Add Another Developmental Lottery Ticket To A Crowded Camp Battle
The Celtics kept building out their training camp ledger by adding Gabe McGlothan on a training camp contract, another name in a group of Exhibit 10 players all trying to make an impression before the season gets moving. McGlothan comes to Boston after time with the Indiana Pacers organization and the Noblesville Boom in the G League, and the path ahead looks familiar for a player in this part of the roster-building process.
He now joins a crowded competition that already includes Devin Carter, Milos Uzan, Tucker DeVries, Caleb Grill, Hank Morgan and Hayden Gray on similar deals. For Boston, the real significance is less about the immediate roster math than the depth of the camp and the extra options it gives Maine, where McGlothan is expected to compete for a spot. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Projected Starting Five Says A Lot About Bostons New Identity
The Celtics projected 2026-27 starting five is already telling a story about where this roster is headed, and it starts with the ripple effect of adding Paul George while waiting for Jayson Tatums return. In a league where lineups can shift quickly from year to year, Bostons expected group suggests a different kind of balance, with established shot creation, defensive versatility, and enough shooting to keep the floor spaced around the stars.
Derrick White and Sam Hauser still loom as important pieces in that picture, while Neemias Quetas presence hints at how the frontcourt could be pieced together behind the headline names. The bigger question is less about who fits and more about how the Celtics want to look when the roster is fully assembled, because the projected roles point to a team trying to blend continuity with a new identity that is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Can Afford To Be Patient With This Center Decision
The Celtics have built enough flexibility into the front of their rotation that they do not need to rush a center decision. Neemias Queta can stay in the first unit for now, while Mitchell Robinson remains a live option if Boston wants a different look. The appeal of Robinson is obvious: his size and activity on the offensive glass could give the Celtics a harder edge around the rim and create extra possessions.
What makes the situation manageable is that Boston has enough depth in that area to absorb different approaches, and Joe Mazzulla can adjust the lineup if the matchup calls for it. Robinson also does not have to be locked into a role that invites easy counters, since the Celtics' rebounding support could lessen any temptation for opponents to lean on hack-a-Robinson tactics. For now, the choice looks less like an urgent call and more like a chess piece Boston can move when the moment is right. [Read more 🡒]