Joe Mazzula praised one of his Boston Celtics players for his great improvement and reminded him of his passion.
Joe Mazzula has the difficult task of coaching the Boston Celtics through a difficult season without competing for an NBA championship.
The Celtics lost their 2024 NBA Championship roster due to Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tendon injury, effectively closing their championship window.
One of the players currently vying for the starting center spot is Niemias Keta. The Portuguese center shined at EuroBasket, setting records with his performances.
Queta set the standard for his EuroBasket career. And his growth over the last year has Joe Mazzula reflecting on their time together.
Joe Mazzula spoke to reporters after the Boston Celtics’ preseason win over the Toronto Raptors. Speaking about Niemias Queta’s performance, he praised the star’s development into the starting role.
Mazzula wants Queta to get better every time he plays and admitted that his development into his current version is why many people are interested in coaching him.
“Tonight was good. It was tough. We’re going to give Neamy a tough battle. I’m really looking forward to coaching him all year long.”
“I told him, ‘This is what you’ve been working for your whole life. Here’s your chance to start for the Celtics.'” You see this with players stepping into different stages of their careers.
“It’s easy to be a force in the paint as a rookie, and it’s easy to be a reserve. He’s had to get into the mindset of performing every night, and I think he has that…”
“He’s shown what he’s capable of. We just have to hold him to that standard. From what we saw tonight, I think he could be better than that. But that’s what we need.”
“I think that’s what got me interested in coaching. What really gets me excited about coaching is coaching players like that and seeing where they take me. It was fun to get there. So I really enjoy coaching him.”
Putting a young center like Niemias Keta in the starting spot is a big risk, and one the Celtics can only take this season.
This season is the NBA equivalent of a gap year for the Boston Celtics, who hope to maintain their spot in the East until Jayson Tatum recovers.
There is also hope that Tatum could return before the playoffs and give the Celtics a big boost if they are still in contention for a spot.
But realistically, the Celtics won’t be competitive. Therefore, Queta can play in the center spot without too much pressure.
But coach Joe Mazzula is unlikely to allow his players to slack off in the name of low expectations. Therefore, Queta still has to live up to the Celtics’ famous standards.