If you’re looking for the latest on Neemias Queta’s injured ankle, Joe Mazzulla apparently is the wrong person to ask.
Queta suffered a sprained left ankle in the first quarter of the Boston Celtics’ win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday and didn’t return. Since the Celtics don’t play again until Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons and didn’t practice Monday, we hadn’t received many updates on the 7-foot big man since Sunday.
And when Mazzulla was asked about Queta’s status after Tuesday’s practice at the Auerbach Center, he played mysteriously coy.
“I haven’t seen him,” Mazzulla told reporters, before repeating that phrase when asked if Queta had gone through practice. When asked a third time if he had any update on Queta’s outlook, the Celtics head coach responded:
“I haven’t seen him or spoken to him.”
Less than an hour after Mazzulla spoke, however, Queta strolled through the Auerbach Center court.
What seems likely is that Queta didn’t participate in practice, and could have been getting treatment on his ankle while the Celtics were practicing. But it’s still a bit odd that Mazzulla claimed he had no communication with Queta before or during practice.
The C’s will put out an injury report later in the day Tuesday, so we should have more clarity on Queta’s status shortly.
Queta has made an outsized impact on winning for Boston this season, averaging 9.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game as the Celtics’ starting center. The C’s are outscoring opponents by an average of 16.4 points per 100 possessions when Queta is on the floor, which is the best mark on the team.
If Queta can’t play Wednesday against the 15-2 Pistons, Mazzulla could insert backup big man Luka Garza into the starting lineup to contend with Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart and a physical Detroit frontcourt. Mazzulla also could opt for a “small ball” lineup that features Josh Minott as a big, or lean on depth options Xavier Tillman and Chris Boucher.
Tip-off for Celtics-Pistons is set for 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
