It would really feel like hyperbole to counsel Neemias Queta is probably the most irreplaceable participant on the Boston Celtics roster given what Jaylen Brown is doing on a nightly foundation. However for a crew missing pure measurement in an overhauled frontcourt, it typically looks like a wholesome Queta is significant to Boston’s total success.
The numbers by means of the primary 17 video games of the 2025-26 season appear to substantiate as a lot.
Queta owns the perfect web score on the crew, with the Celtics outscoring opponents by 16.8 factors per 100 possessions in his 396 minutes of court docket time. Maybe extra noteworthy: Boston has been outscored by 6.3 factors per 100 possessions in Queta’s 372 minutes off the court docket. He’s the one participant on Boston’s roster within the unfavourable for off-court web score.
Which, acknowledged extra merely, suggests the Celtics play their greatest basketball with Queta on the court docket, and their worst basketball with out him.
The crew’s rebounding percentages plummet with out Queta, whereas Boston’s defensive score spikes by 20.3 factors per 100 possessions when he’s not on the ground.
So, when Queta limped off the court after touchdown awkwardly attempting to dam a shot early in Boston’s win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday, it put the Celtics in a precarious spot.
With Orlando working with out key frontcourt personnel, the Celtics have been in a position to lean into small-ball lineups, typically that includes Josh Minott on the middle place. Boston constructed a 26-point first-half lead, then held on on the end line for a 138-129 triumph at TD Backyard.
A lineup that includes Minott alongside the remaining starters of Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Jordan Walsh was a team-best +9 in just below eight minutes collectively. One other lineup that paired Minott, Pritchard, and Brown with Anfernee Simons and Hugo Gonzalez was additionally +6 in just below 4 minutes collectively.
Mazzulla admitted the Celtics have been in a position to get away with going small given the restricted personnel that Orlando had accessible. If Queta have been to overlook any extra time, the flexibility to remain small will get a bit extra daunting, particularly with size-filled groups like Detroit, Minnesota, Cleveland, and New York looming on the schedule.
The Celtics basically have 5 “bigs” on their roster this season. Queta is the one pure 7-footer within the bunch. Luka Garza, Chris Boucher, Xavier Tillman and Minott have stuffed minutes at middle, too.
Right here’s how the top-used massive mixtures (20+ minutes) have fared this season, per PBPStats monitoring:
Queta’s impression, no matter lineup, is emphasised but once more. The Celtics elected to maintain Garza on the bench Sunday and simply trip the smaller lineups with Minott. The soon-to-be 23-year-old ahead (his birthday is Tuesday) produced one in every of his greatest outings of the season with 16 factors on 7-of-8 taking pictures with seven rebounds over 19:30.
If Queta misses extra time, the Celtics will face powerful selections. They may attempt to keep small and trip the trio of Minott, Garza, and Boucher. They may contemplate recalling 6-foot-11, two-way massive man Amari Williams, who’s averaging 12.7 factors and 10.6 rebounds per sport in seven appearances for Maine this season however has seen simply seven minutes of NBA ground time.
The harm to Queta, no matter how lengthy it retains him out, stresses once more simply how razor-thin the margins are for the Celtics. Final season, it didn’t matter if Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford have been getting relaxation days, because the crew might navigate with Queta and Luke Kornet.
Now, issues get difficult even with only one starter absent.
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