The Boston Celtics knew they would have some issues with their frontcourt rotation after trading a fair amount of it away in the deals that brought in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, especially if the injury bug bit. And bite that reviled bug did this week, but Boston has since learned that they can lean on two way center Neemias Queta to pull down boards on both ends.
Speaking to the media after a 113-103 win over the Atlanta Hawks Sunday, Queta shared his thoughts on his career-high 10-rebound performance. “I think that’s a little bit of what I bring to the table, being an offensive rebounder, being able to crash or attract a second defender to you on the offensive glass,” said Queta via Masslive’s Brian Robb.
“I feel like it’s just one of those things I can help with,” added the Portuguese big man. “With all these guys, we all emphasize crashing, so it’s coming along really well for us. We want to keep going.”
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That sort of approach generated a total of 6 extra possessions for Boston on the offensive end alone.
And while Luke Kornet offers a finesse approach on both ends that has a role in certain matchups, on a ball club that has offense under control even down two starters, a player able to set the tone in terms of physicality and hoovering up boards might be exactly what the Celtics’ rotation needs.
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