The Boston Celtics appeared to have Tuesday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets wrapped up in regulation. They led by four with four seconds left, Jayson Tatum at the free-throw line, and ESPN analytics giving them a 99.2 percent chance of winning.
Then, Tatum missed the free throw. The live ball should have forced Brooklyn to use its final timeout, but Neemias Queta reached in on the rebound and committed a foul. That stopped the clock and gave the Nets a scoring opportunity, and it was Queta’s sixth of the night, fouling him out. That forced Mitchell Robinson, who has well-documented struggles at the line, into the game to secure a rebound. When Brooklyn intentionally fouled him, he went 0-for-2, and the Nets used their final timeout to advance the ball and hit the game-tying three.
Tatum’s overtime buzzer-beater saved Boston from a disastrous collapse, but the game should never have reached overtime. That end-of-regulation sequence summed up the Celtics’ current issues at center: Queta’s foul trouble and Robinson’s shaky integration.
Neemias Queta is Too Valuable to Be Losing Critical Minutes
Although Queta is adjusting to coming off the bench compared to starting last season, his fit within Boston’s system remains strong. He is still an impactful screener, and his positioning on offense continues to provide value during another booming season for the unit.
Through four games, the Celtics boast a +25.3 net rating with Queta on the court. His inside-the-arc spacing, as a roller off screens and in the dunker spot, is helping provide rim pressure that was much discussed in the offseason.
The team’s turnover numbers back Queta’s chemistry with Boston’s ball-handlers during his minutes. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Celtics have a 7.2% turnover rate in his minutes through October 28, which ranks in the 100th percentile for turnover suppression. Their offensive rating in his minutes is 132.9, which also ranks in the 100th percentile for efficiency.
The sample size is still small, but his comfort in Boston’s system still shines. When on the court, Queta has been incredibly impactful.
The problem is that he’s not on the court enough. On Tuesday, Queta sat out the entire third quarter after picking up four fouls in the first half, limiting him to just 15 minutes on the night. He’s now recorded four or more fouls in three of the Celtics’ four contests despite not yet playing 23 minutes in any game.
Foul Trouble is Not New for Queta
While Queta’s leaping ability and presence in both paints have shown flashes since he entered the NBA, foul trouble was one of the main reasons it took years for him to break out. He improved in that area for much of his 2025-26 breakout campaign.
In each of his first three seasons with Boston, his defensive foul rate dropped from 5.5 percent to 4.6 percent, to 4.4 percent last season, per Cleaning the Glass. While the progress is encouraging, Queta’s season in that regard ended sour.
During the playoffs, Queta mightily struggled to contain Joel Embiid without fouling. Embiid is the NBA’s all-time leader in free throws attempted per 100 possessions, so Queta’s struggles aren’t a complete referendum on him as a player. Still, his 4.1 fouls per game and 7.1 percent defensive foul rate in the team’s first-round exit showed the troubles haven’t been left behind.
Those concerns have trickled into this season. Despite playing about five fewer minutes per game than last season, he’s averaging more fouls. His defensive foul rate stands at 7.0 — higher than any previous season with the Celtics.
Again, four games out of 82 won’t define Queta’s story. Still, he clearly needs to improve in that area, both in the short and long term.
Mitchell Robinson Isn’t Yet Comfortable With the Celtics
Queta’s early foul trouble matters even more for the Celtics because Robinson hasn’t made a meaningful impact yet.
As he works himself into playing shape, his fit has been disconnected. The chemistry with his teammates hasn’t been there yet; not overly alarming, but the Celtics have a 21.6% TOV rate when he’s on the court so far, which puts him in the 3rd percentile (low percentile equaling high rate). He doesn’t look well-conditioned yet and isn’t making the rebounding and defensive impact he was expected to.
As Robinson adjusts to the Celtics’ style and the coaching staff learns how to best use him, growing pains are expected. For that reason, Queta should have no problem picking up the slack, but he’s limiting his own availability by fouling.
Plenty of Season Left
The good news for Boston is that they still have 78 regular-season games left.
Luka Garza’s presence has made things easier as a third-string center who provides a relentless motor and three-point shooting. While his hustle and spacing are a luxury from a third option, opposing teams are relentlessly hunting him on defense. That will only intensify in the playoffs. After investing in Queta and Robinson this offseason, they are likely hoping the duo can manage all 48 minutes of a playoff game.
As for Robinson, he should only continue to look more comfortable with the Celtics as his cardio improves and his chemistry with teammates builds. For Queta, while he’s proven it doesn’t have to be a major issue, his foul discipline has been a problem so far. For the Celtics to achieve their lofty goals, those two will need to be more reliable than they have been so far.
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