Neemias Queta had a week that mattered far beyond the FIBA World Cup Qualifying bracket.
The Utah State product and Boston Celtics center led Portugal past Spain on Friday, outdueling fellow Celtics big man Hugo González in the process — a head-to-head audition that couldn't have been scripted better for Queta's NBA prospects. With training camp approaching, the performance injected fresh urgency into one of Boston's most interesting roster questions: who starts at center when the regular season tips off?
Queta, who developed his game at Utah State before going undrafted and clawing his way into the league, has steadily grown into a legitimate rotation piece for Boston. But a starting role is a different conversation entirely — one that this FIBA run is now actively forcing. Going up directly against González, a fellow Celtics big, and coming out on top gave Queta a tangible data point to carry into camp. Coaches notice those things.
The 25-year-old's case is built on timing, effort, and opportunity. He's never been handed anything in his professional career, and this week was another example of him making the most of a stage he earned. For Aggies fans who watched him develop in Logan, the sight of Queta competing at this level — and winning — is a long time coming.
No other Utah State alumni made significant news in the NBA space during the period. Sam Merrill remains with the Cleveland Cavaliers as a reliable shooting guard depth piece, and Taylor Funk is on the Washington Wizards' roster, though neither generated notable headlines this week.
The Queta story is the one worth watching. If Boston's brass was already leaning his direction at center, this FIBA performance doesn't hurt. If it was genuinely undecided, he may have just tipped the scales.
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