Neemias Queta is starting to make a name for himself in Boston - not just as a towering presence in the paint, but as a developing defensive anchor whose growth is beginning to reshape how the Celtics play on that end of the floor.
In Wednesday night’s 119-104 win over the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden, Queta blocked five shots, but it wasn’t just the number that stood out. It was how he did it.
The seven-footer is learning to stay grounded, to read the game, and to use his size and timing with purpose. He’s no longer chasing every block like it’s a highlight reel audition.
Instead, he’s choosing his spots, staying vertical, and making life miserable for opponents trying to finish at the rim.
“I feel like with repetition and consistently seeing different looks, I don't think that stuff is new anymore,” Queta said after the game. “So, just being able to figure out how to impact defending.
Who's attacking the rim, and what [do] you have guarding as the second defender? Everything's becoming more clear for me, and I'm getting better at it.
At the end of the day, that's the main thing.”
That clarity is showing up in real time. Early in the game, Queta flipped his hips to stay in front of Andrew Nembhard on a drive, then elevated with control to swat the layup attempt off the glass - no foul, just textbook rim protection.
On another possession, he rotated over on a Quenton Jackson drive, stayed grounded, and when the ball was dumped off to Tony Bradley, Queta rose straight up, obeying the verticality rule to perfection. He blocked the shot clean, and the Celtics turned it into points on the other end with a Jordan Walsh three.
It was the kind of two-way sequence coaches love - defense feeding offense, and a big man anchoring both ends with poise.
Queta wasn’t done. He spiked a Johnny Furphy floater, timed a weak-side rotation to erase a Pascal Siakam spin move, and stayed disciplined as the shot clock dwindled while guarding Ben Sheppard on the perimeter, ultimately denying the attempt without biting on a fake.
This wasn’t just a night where Queta filled the box score. It was a snapshot of a player putting the pieces together - understanding when to contest, when to stay down, and how to protect the rim without compromising the team’s rebounding or fouling.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla took notice, offering praise without needing to be prompted.
“Tonight, Neemi had five blocks. I thought he did a great job protecting the rim for us. I think his growth defensively is helping us get better,” Mazzulla said.
Jaylen Brown echoed the sentiment, while also pointing out the importance of consistency.
“I thought he did a good job, but we’ve gotta be consistent in not fouling when we don’t need to foul,” Brown said. “And we rely on Neemi a lot, so he’s gotta continue to keep it up.”
That reliance is growing - and for good reason. The Celtics, now 27-16 and holding the second seed in the East, are getting real value from Queta’s presence in the starting lineup. His ability to deter shots without always needing to block them is allowing Boston’s perimeter defenders to play more aggressively, knowing they’ve got a safety net behind them.
“I think it’s huge,” Queta said. “Every time guys drive and see me in there - make them second-guess their ability to get a good finish.
And a lot of times, it’s not even about blocking it. It’s just about making them miss a shot.
So by being present early and communicating to my teammates that I have their back, it’s so much easier for our defense, and I think our roles get clearer.”
The numbers back it up. Opponents are shooting 11.2 percent worse at the rim when Queta is on the floor - a mark that ranks in the 84th percentile, according to databallr.com. He’s averaging 1.2 blocks per game and helping the Celtics hold teams to the second-fewest points per contest in the league.
That’s not just a big man doing his job. That’s a developing defensive centerpiece.
Queta himself credits the game slowing down. He’s trusting his instincts more, understanding when to rotate, when to contest, and when to stay home to secure the rebound. It’s a shift from raw athleticism to refined impact - and it’s giving Boston another dimension defensively.
“Timing, positioning, knowing when to go, when not to go, without giving up offensive rebounds,” Queta said. “And I feel like the game is just slowing down and becoming way easier for me to figure that stuff out. So, I'm just trying to stay locked in and keep on improving on that.”
There’s still plenty of room for growth, and that’s the exciting part. Queta’s blend of size, athleticism, and improving defensive IQ is starting to pay dividends - not just for him, but for a Celtics team with title aspirations. If he keeps trending upward, Boston’s defense could be even more formidable come spring.
And for a player once viewed as a project, that’s a pretty big leap.