Celtics Update: Queta, Scheierman, Tatum, and Vucevic Insights
Neemias Queta, the first and only NBA player from Portugal, shares his remarkable journey in a recent interview with Marc J. Spears. His parents relocated to Portugal from Guinea-Bissau during the late 1990s due to a civil war. Although Queta has never visited Guinea-Bissau, he aspires to travel to his parents’ homeland in the coming years. “They were in kind of a refugee type of situation. Portugal welcomed them,” Queta stated.
At 26 years old, Queta was born in Lisbon and grew up 20 miles from the capital. He didn’t start playing basketball until age 10 and earned just one full scholarship offer from Utah State in 2018. After three successful years with the Aggies, the Sacramento Kings chose Queta 39th overall in the 2021 draft.
Queta spent two seasons with the Kings on two-way contracts. However, he was waived during the 2023 offseason and signed a two-way deal with the Boston Celtics shortly after. He signed a multiyear standard contract in the summer of 2024 after the Celtics converted his initial deal. Boston holds a $2.7 million team option on Queta for the 2026-27 season. “Being the face of the NBA for Portugal is pretty good for me,” said Queta. “I just want to represent our culture well.”
Celtics Player Updates
Injury Status of Baylor Scheierman
Second-year guard Baylor Scheierman is questionable for the upcoming game against Philadelphia due to a left thumb fracture. Reports indicate that Scheierman sustained the injury during a collision with Egor Demin in a recent match against Brooklyn. Despite the injury, the 25-year-old wing continued playing and has been a significant contributor this season. He has averaged 8.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals in 13 games as a starter, shooting 36.8% from three-point range.
Jayson Tatum’s Recovery
Star forward Jayson Tatum will not return to action against the 76ers as he continues to recover from a torn Achilles tendon. There had been speculation regarding his potential return date around March 1, but those hopes have now been ruled out.
