Sacramento Kings’ Neemias Queta (88) defends Portland Trail Blazer’s Nassir Little (10) during the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. Kings won 126-94. (AP Photo/José Luis Villegas)
Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown said former Utah State center and current two-way player for the Kings, Neemias Queta, will be getting a shot at earning the backup center spot with the team.
Queta played in his second game of the season Monday in Sacramento’s 125-119 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The former Aggie played seven minutes, backing up starting center Domantas Sabonis. Queta scored two points on 1-of-3 shooting and added four rebounds and one block.
“I wanted to come out there and just play hard,” Queta told members of the media Tuesday. “Knowing my role, I’ve got to come in there and just play hard. Just get rebounds. Go fight for loose balls. Get my teammates open. And just do it as best as I can.”
Backup center has been a position of weakness for the Kings and it’s led Brown to try different options from veterans Richaun Holmes and Alex Len to younger players like Chimezie Metu and Queta.
“It hadn’t looked great as of late. If you watched the games we’ve had to run Domas 40 minutes. And I can’t run Domas 40 minutes every night,” Brown said after the loss to the Hornets on Monday. “So I need to find a guy in that spot that’s gonna defend, run the floor, spell Domas for 6 to 8 minutes a half and play as hard as he can while trying to follow the gameplan. Not fouling. boxing out and doing all the little things that need to keep that group solid for those six to eight minutes. We’ve found it in spurts but I wanna get to the point where it can be a little more consistent so I’m gonna keep searching until I feel like that person is there.”
With the situation as it has been, Queta knew he was going to get his chance. He’s been on the active roster for Sacramento since Dec. 13 and on Monday played the most he has since April.
“The guy’s been telling me the past few days to stay ready,” Queta said. “Coach told me before shootaround ‘We’re going to you early, so be ready and just do what you do.’”
Going to Queta isn’t to be interpreted as a vote of confidence in the young center. According to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee, Brown said “If Neemi doesn’t work out, I’ll go back to another guy.”
Kings coach Mike Brown says Neemias Queta is going to get an opportunity at the backup center spot, saying: “If Neemie doesn’t work out, I’ll go back to another guy.”
— Jason Anderson (@JandersonSacBee) December 20, 2022
Queta has now played just nine total minutes for the Kings with all of his other game experience coming with Sacramento’s G-League affiliate, the Stockton Kings. In 14 appearances with Stockton this year, Queta has averaged 19.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.9 blocks. His best performance of the season came on Nov. 27 when he scored 38 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a game against the Santa Cruz Warriors. He also had four blocks and three assists in that game.
Sacramento’s next game will be at home against the LA Lakers on Wednesday, tipping off at 8 p.m. Mountain Time.
