Payton Pritchard credits playing time for Neemias Queta’s Celtics breakout
Payton Pritchard said recent roster moves and steady minutes have allowed Neemias Queta to grow into a reliable frontcourt option for the Boston Celtics, and that development matters now as the team pushes toward a top seed in the East.
Payton Pritchard on Queta’s development
Payton Pritchard pointed to three simple factors behind Queta’s rise: playing time, learning to play through mistakes and having room to grow. "He got better by watching the guys ahead of him, and when his opportunity came, he took full advantage of it. He's been unbelievable, " Pritchard said after Boston’s win in Dallas.
Queta’s numbers and role in Boston
The 26-year-old center has translated opportunity into production. He is averaging 9. 7 points, 8. 3 rebounds and 1. 5 assists in 25. 1 minutes per game across 51 appearances, shooting 63. 9 percent from the field while providing rim protection and rebounding tenacity. His interior defense has been notable: among players who have defended more than five shots per game, he allows the third-lowest field-goal percentage within six feet, at 53 percent.
Roster shifts opened a path and Pritchard adapted
Changes at the trade deadline reshaped Boston’s rotation. The Celtics added Nikola Vucevic in a deal that sent Anfernee Simons elsewhere, a move that created different offensive looks and also left room for Queta to take on more defensive minutes. Since the roster adjustment, Pritchard has accepted a bench role to keep a point guard on the floor at all times, saying the team-first approach is about how he uses his minutes rather than whether he starts.
The immediate payoff is balance: Queta’s emergence has helped Boston shore up its interior defense and depth down the stretch. The Celtics sit at 35-19 and are pushing for a top seed in the Eastern Conference, a position that makes Queta’s steady play particularly valuable for matchups in the playoffs.
Boston also heads into the post-All-Star stretch with further tests ahead. The team begins a four-game road trip with a trip to Golden State, and it faces 28 games remaining on the schedule that will determine seeding and rotations down the final weeks of the regular season.
Recovery and rotation decisions will be watched closely as the Celtics navigate that road trip and the closing slate; for now, Payton Pritchard’s assessment is simple: consistent opportunity and patience helped Neemias Queta become a key piece for a team chasing a top seed.
