Neemias Queta
Queta has moved from last season's full-time starter to a reserve center behind Mitchell Robinson, but he is still a rotation big with real minutes, and Robinson's durability could give him more.
Role
Robinson won the starting job. NBC Sports Boston's Sean Grande, via a Oct. 20 report, said Queta would come off the bench for the Detroit opener. After the Knicks home game, Kyle Collis's Substack says Robinson got the start again and both centers played 22 minutes (Queta: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks). Last season Queta started 76 games at 25.3 minutes per game, per Boston.com's coverage of ESPN's list. I found no published minutes or usage-rate tracker for this season. The wire note says he will not play in the preseason finale against the 76ers, and he carries no injury designation. I found no reporting on back-to-back rest plans.
Queta was efficient in the opener, and last season he played 25.3 minutes per game as the starter. He has been tied to pick-and-roll finishing, and a Kyle Collis post said he would rather see Queta start, matchup permitting. Reports from CBS Sports and RotoWire say Robinson's durability concerns could push minutes back toward Queta. He also signed a four-year, $56 million extension in July, according to RotoWire's player page.
Boston signed Robinson in the offseason and handed him the starting job, which caps Queta's ceiling at a split of the center minutes. ESPN left him off its top 100 because his track record as a starter is only one season, and Boston.com noted he had growing pains in the playoffs. CelticsBlog noted fouls were still a concern for him. The opening-week sample is small: one game, equal minutes with Robinson.
Where analysts split
Whether the starting job and the bigger share of center minutes stay with Robinson or revert to Queta. Reports say Robinson won the camp battle and that his durability is the main risk. One Celtics writer says he would prefer Queta in the role, depending on matchup. The coaching staff has not said how it will split the minutes.
Research confidence: thin. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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