{"id":698629,"date":"2026-04-04T23:19:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T23:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/698629\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T23:19:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T23:19:15","slug":"neemias-quetas-performance-against-the-bucks-shows-why-the-celtics-have-full-confidence-in-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/698629\/","title":{"rendered":"Neemias Queta’s performance against the Bucks shows why the Celtics have full confidence in center"},"content":{"rendered":"

By the end of the period, Queta had registered 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots, and the Celtics had raced to a 43-26 lead that was never in danger. Queta finished the game with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting, along with 10 rebounds and 4 blocks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On a team filled with offensive weapons, Queta has emerged as a dependable and consistent safety valve whenever a defense\u2019s attention concentrates elsewhere.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s unbelievable,\u201d Tatum said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t be more proud and happy for Neemy. The way he\u2019s seeing the game, the leap he\u2019s made as a screener, as a passer, someone we can trust when we throw him the ball in the seams, finishing, protecting the rim. He is an NBA starting big man, that\u2019s who he is now. He\u2019s only going to continue to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following the offseason departures of Kristaps Porzingis<\/a>, Al Horford<\/a>, and Luke Kornet, the center position was the biggest question mark on the Celtics\u2019 roster. But president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the team\u2019s faith in Queta<\/a>, a former two-way contract player, never wavered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think maybe at the beginning of the year we didn\u2019t trust him as much as we do now, and now every time we throw it to him, we expect him to make the right read and right play,\u201d White said. \u201cHe\u2019s developed a lot of confidence, and we all have confidence in him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pritchard disagrees with coach<\/p>\n

Mazzulla and Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff are the two leading candidates to win the NBA\u2019s Coach of the Year award. When asked last week about the significance of the potential honor, Mazzulla dismissed it, calling it a \u201cstupid award\u201d<\/a> and saying that it should not exist. He said he would prefer that the focus remained on his players and staff.<\/p>\n

But Celtics guard Payton Pritchard, the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year, chuckled Friday morning when asked if he has seen Mazzulla\u2019s thoughts on the topic.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d he said, \u201cit\u2019s a real Joe response.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Pritchard did not agree with it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe definitely should [win],\u201d Pritchard said. \u201cWe should all endorse him. The expectations for this team, he never believed in those, and he pushed us. And he\u2019s a big reason, if not the biggest reason, we\u2019re in this position. So, he\u2019s definitely the coach of the year in my eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pritchard said he admired Mazzulla\u2019s willingness to adapt following a roster overhaul that altered the team\u2019s strengths.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a competitor, and he focuses on how this team is going to get better and better,\u201d Pritchard said. \u201cHe changed some things up this year as far as film sessions. He went to more, instead of a dictatorship, like a classroom setting where we\u2019re just going to learn through all the ups and downs in that setting. So, it was great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Score is all that matters<\/p>\n

The Celtics\u2019 blowout wins over the Heat<\/a> and Bucks in their last two games included statistical anomalies.<\/p>\n

They beat the Heat, 147-129, despite allowing Miami to hit 24 of 47 3-pointers (51.1 percent). Then they breezed past the Bucks by 32 points even though Milwaukee shot 21 of 47 (44.7 percent) from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n

Boston had been 0-6 when an opponent made at least 43.5 percent of its 3-pointers. But after the Bucks game, Mazzulla pointed to Milwaukee\u2019s low scoring total as the most important figure.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey scored 101,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re not going to be able to take away all of them. To me, we took away the transition ones, we took away the offensive rebound ones, we took some away from guys we needed to take away from \u2026 Shooting 44 percent from 3 and shooting 47 3s and only having 101 points, it just shows we took care of the other stuff we needed to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Center Nikola Vucevic<\/a>, who has been sidelined since breaking his right ring finger in Boston\u2019s March 6 win over the Mavericks, has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday\u2019s home game against the Raptors. <\/p>\n

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach<\/a>.<\/p>\n