Neemias Queta has quietly turned into one of the Celtics’ most useful offensive pieces, and it’s not because he’s piling up touches.
The number that jumps off the page is the screen work. As Nekias Duncan of Yahoo!
Sports pointed out on Monday, Queta has already set more flare screens by himself than all but eight teams in the NBA. That’s a wild figure on its own, but it looks even more striking when you remember he has played just 218 of a possible 480 minutes for Boston this season.
That kind of output tells the story of a big man who never stops moving. Queta’s 59 flare screens show how often he’s racing around the floor, bumping defenders out of position and creating clean looks or lanes for teammates. He’s not just standing near the action and waiting for the ball to find him.
Most of the attention on Queta usually starts with his defense, and for good reason. But the offensive value he’s bringing deserves just as much credit.
He isn’t stretching the floor as a shooter, he isn’t handling the ball like a creator, and he isn’t going to beat people with post moves or polished footwork. What he does have is a relentless motor and a big, athletic frame, and he’s using both to full effect.
The impact shows up in the numbers. Boston has a 127.5 offensive rating when Queta is on the court, a mark that would lead the NBA by a mile. When he sits, that number drops to 112.3, which would barely land inside the top 20.
That’s the real value here: Queta is helping the Celtics score without needing the ball in his hands. Boston’s offense is built on movement, spacing, and passing, and Queta’s willingness to fly around off the ball is giving defenses another problem to solve. They can’t just lock onto the main scoring threats and relax for a second.
There’s also room for more. Queta has already hit more threes this season than he did in the rest of his career combined, and he’s added some solid finishes at the rim too. If teams start keying in on his screening, he can slip into the play and become a target himself.
It’s been a fun development to watch, and it still feels like there’s more coming. The more comfortable Queta gets, and the more his teammates learn how to play off him, the more Boston’s offense should keep opening up.
In Other News...
Jaylen Brown Trade Debate Just Got Real For Celtics Fans
Jaylen Browns move to Philadelphia has quickly become one of those deals Celtics fans cant help but revisit, especially with both sides getting what they hoped for early on. Brown has settled in well with the 76ers, putting up strong production that is right in line with, and in some areas a touch above, what he had been doing in Boston, while Paul George has also looked comfortable in his new setting after the swap.
What makes the debate linger is that neither player has looked like a clear loser in the exchange. Brown has been handling a heavier workload, and George has brought the kind of defensive impact that can change a game without dominating the scoring column. For Celtics fans, the trade is no longer just a hypothetical front-office exercise. It is a live comparison, and one that still feels like it could tilt in either direction as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers-Celtics Just Got More Personal With The East Already At Stake
The Celtics next trip to Philadelphia already had plenty riding on it, with two Eastern Conference contenders meeting Tuesday night and the standings picture making every game feel a little sharper this time of year. Add Kyrie Irving into the mix, and the matchup gets another layer of history, since he spent time in Boston alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown before moving on to Dallas.
What makes this one stand out from the usual early-season measuring stick is the personal thread running through it. Irving sounded eager to watch it unfold, and the game will also bring Tatum and Brown into a new kind of spotlight as they face a former teammate in a setting that carries real conference weight. For a Celtics team trying to keep pace at the top of the East, it is the kind of night that feels bigger than the schedule line suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Paul George Is Giving The Celtics Something They Really Needed
Paul Georges start in Boston has fit neatly into what the Celtics have wanted from him, even if it looks a little different from the versions of George fans saw in his previous stops. Early on, hes putting up 20.4 points per game on a 60% true shooting mark, and the bigger story is how hes getting there. Instead of leaning on the pick-and-roll-heavy look he had with the Clippers or the isolation diet he saw with the 76ers, George has settled into a role that asks him to move, read, and create within Bostons off-screen-heavy offense.
That adjustment matters because the Celtics have been looking for another player who can keep the attack flowing when the structure changes, and George has given them exactly that kind of flexibility. Hes been productive whether Jayson Tatum is on the floor or not, which is a useful sign for a team that needs reliable offense across different lineup combinations. The early returns suggest Boston may have found a cleaner fit for George than the one he had in his last two stops, and the next question is how far that comfort can carry once the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]