The two-way rookie continues to thrive in Stockton, and is capable of making the NBA leap.
It’s only been one week since Neemias Queta scored his first NBA bucket in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but enough time has passed in this time split between Stockton and Sacramento for Kings’ personnel to give the Portugal product an extended audition in the association.
Queta spent the week with Sacramento and returned to the G League on Monday afternoon recording 22 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks in a loss to the Santa Cruz Warriors. The G League has painted Queta to be a season-king staple, dominating the development league every time he is on the floor.
In the beginning of the season, Queta was a fan favorite along the lines of a Tacko Fall or a Bol Bol – wanting to see him thrive as a novelty and less as a real player with high, high upside. Now as the Kingdom continues to see him earn more minutes in the purple and black, the bounce this rookie has is undeniable – and it’s time he cracks the rotation beyond garbage time.
As the trade deadline approaches, it’s more likely than not Sacramento will plan to move off of the glutted center and point guard spots on the roster. Moving off of a Tristan Thompson and giving Queta the opportunity to be a third option big man on this team can only beneficial to his development in the long run. The Kings won’t be sacrificing much to give the rookie a chance, as Thompson has had a dud of a season in Sacramento.
While the Kings look to make moves in the coming weeks, using Neemy to space the floor, grow his game and build on his big moments in the G League should be a priority.