Boston Celtics
“We don’t really have a guy that can replace what Neemi does for us.”
Celtics center Neemias Queta will miss Wednesday’s game against the Pistons because of a sprained left ankle, according to the team.
The big man suffered the injury while challenging a shot in the paint midway through the first quarter of Sunday’s win over the Magic. He limped to the locker room and did not return to the bench.
Coach Joe Mazzulla had no update regarding Queta following Tuesday’s practice, saying simply that he had not seen or spoken to the team’s starting center.
About 15 minutes later, Queta emerged on the Auerbach Center court in workout gear. He was not available for interviews, but he did not show any obvious signs of a limp as he walked to the weight room, where a team staffer pulled a door closed behind him.
If Queta is sidelined for an extended period, it would be a substantial loss. The Celtics have outscored opponents by 16.4 points per 100 possessions with Queta on the court, and they have been outscored by 4.6 points per 100 possessions when he sits.
That massive 21-point differential is 9.2 points per 100 possessions ahead of the next closest Celtic, Jordan Walsh.
“We don’t really have a guy that can replace what Neemi does for us,” guard Derrick White said. ”It’s got to be just a group effort, obviously [Xavier Tillman], Luka [Garza], Chris [Boucher], they’re going to get a bigger chance and we’re going to need a lot from them, but it’s also on us.
“We don’t have Neemi back there to kind of take out some of the problems or the mistakes we make on the perimeter. It’s going to be a team effort, rebounding and everything. Hopefully he comes back as quickly as possible, but we’ve all got to step up.”
Garza has been the backup big man for much of this season, but the Celtics have been throttled with him on the court, with a minus-16.5 differential. After Queta was injured, Mazzulla mostly opted to play small. Boucher, a rangy power forward, got the first look at center, and wings Josh Minott and Walsh also received opportunities at the position when Boston opted for a fast-paced approach.
“We just took advantage of the depth that we have and matched what we thought was the personnel to Orlando and how the game was going,” Mazzulla said. “And everyone’s got to be ready to do that. So every game will call for something different based on our lineups, their lineups, and the games. And we just have to be ready to do that.”
But most groupings without Queta have mostly struggled this season. Queta, meanwhile, is averaging 9.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.
“Obviously, he provides a lot of shot blocking down low,” forward Sam Hauser said. “His presence down there, we’re going to make up for in other ways, being aggressive, just keeping guys out of the paint, rebounding really well. Just trying to be playmakers on defense.”
The surging Pistons will certainly try to challenge the Celtics in the post. Detroit, which is riding a 13-game winning streak, averages a league-high 59.1 points in the paint.
“They’re playing well,” White said. “I think we came in knowing that the mentality would be a little different, but, I mean, they’re playing really well, probably one of the best teams in the NBA. It’s a great challenge, a great opportunity, and stuff that you look forward to.”
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Celtics two-way contract player Ron Harper Jr. was named the G League player of the week. The guard poured in a career-high 46 points in Maine’s win over Delaware on Friday. For the week, he averaged 36 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals.
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