With the 39th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select Neemias Queta. Queta is a 7' center from Utah State.
Our draft guru Bryant West has the following analysis about Queta:
Neemias Queta is built like a brickhouse, and at 7'0 and 250 lbs with a 7'4 wingspan he has excellent size for the center position. He's one of the best rim protectors in the class, and averaged 3.3 blocks and 1.1 steals per game this year. He'll be a force around the basket on both ends of the court, but he'll have to prove that he's not a liability in space on defense to earn big NBA minutes. He was also predominantly a low-post big man at Utah State, as over half of his offensive plays came off of post-ups. It'll be key to see how Queta adjusts to the NBA on both sides of the court, but he's a physical, tough big man who could earn a spot for defense-needy Sacramento.
Our own Bryant West and Brenden Nunes discuss Queta with Nate Miller on the Kings Pulse Podcast:
Welcome to Sacramento, Neemias!
Whiteside in trouble now
He’s a UFA
Does the “U” stand for unwanted?
This looks like a very solid pick at 39.
Likely be playing in the G League this season.
Bagley for Bamba is still on the table.
I hope we got us a beast. Guy looks good on film, but you never know.
Cool. I hope he balls for us!
I actually really like Queta. He can protect the rim REALLY well but he’s also a really good high post passer. I like it.
Some of his stats jump out at me. High block, rebound and steal rates, and also a good passer. Looks to have an NBA ready body from the little film I have seen as well. We needed someone like this regardless if we bring back Holmes or not.
The entire league: “It is a multi positional wing game now. Draft accordingly.”
Kings: “Let’s draft the most one positional dudes, who also happen to be the tallest and shortest guys in the draft.”
This is what I just do not understand. We have so little positional versatility. We have one freaking wing on the entire roster that is actually going to play. Unless we have multiple guards that are being moved, I don’t understand this at all.
we are definitely having some gaurds moved. this is the start of McNair’s second year. give him a few weeks lol
I have been trying to give every GM for the last decade a chance to make moves and yet, we still stink. I have learned that if they actually do anything interesting I’ll just be pleasantly surprised. But I expect failure at all times.
Yup – we’ve waited for other deals to take place to make sense of GMs’ poor moves. And typically those moves haven’t materialized. Sometimes you just have to call a spade a spade.
You speak for all of us.
Upvote for accuracy.
Davion, Queta..emphasis on defense. Yves Pons was SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Give him an invite.
Good move, need an extra big inside to help neutralize the Bucks advantage during the Finals.
Does anyone really think the reason we are the second-worst defensive team of all time is because we were just missing a couple guys like Queta and Mitchell?
you are partially correct…
also because we are having Bagley and Hield playing to contribute to those worst defense.
Again, its addition by substraction.
With Bagley and Hield gone, and addition of Queta and Mitchell, our team defense will rank 1st.
They’re not gone yet. And if/when they go, new players will come in who may or not be good defenders. Point being, there are underlying reasons why we were the second worse defense of all time.
not sure exactly what you’re getting at. we added defensive players… and that’s not going to help make us a better defensive team?
What I’m getting at is that it seems McNair went out of his way to draft defenders at the expense of, lets say, upside. Presumably, because we have a historically bad defense. My gripe is that if McNair is so focused on improving it, then why keep the coach that presided over that defense? The draft seems like a costly way to do so. Plug in these two guys to an awful defense with the same coach… does that buy enough?
The front office is probably not thinking about it this way, I’m sure Mitchell was tops on their board when they drafted him. Mitchell is a player I am sure I will end up loving to root for, so I really I hope I am wrong and he does really improve us defensively and end up being a smart pick at #9. Not sure if Walton’s the guy that can make that happen, though.
To be fair, we only have a couple of guys who are average at best on defense. Most stink.
Yea… bit of an indictment of ‘Swipa’ that he’s our franchise player and we had to draft someone at his position to be a stopper.
There are a few flaws in the “Fox as the franchise” model. Defense is certainly one of them.
Edit to say that I do like Fox. I’m just not excited about our potential ceiling with him being the lead of the franchise.
Now we’ll have someone to defend Embiid when we meet in the NBA finals.
Solid pick.
Kendrick Perkins was really high on him, “wouldn’t be surprised if he’s Sacramento’s starting center by the end of the year”.
He probably will be regardless because Holmes is gone. But I really do like this guy and Vecenie loved this guy as well as a great ready to play talent that’s a big. Which as we know is rare.
Love the pick! I wanted him at the end of the first with a trade… True big defensively with serious passing skills
I’m thinking it’s not a coincidence that we selected two 22 year olds.
Kangz versions of win now moves.
Don’t fret, looking at the rest of the roster, and we’re definitely not in any position to win for a while yet.
Love the pick but I have no hope in us developing 2nd rounders if we don’t even give them a chance to earn any consistent minutes in real games.
Robert Woodard had the NBA ready body but couldn’t even get a shot. Plus we are not tanking so Jah’mius, along with the fact that we have 20 other guards, will not be turning into a player here in Sacramento. Justin James and Kyle Guy are self explanatory, never given consistent shots.
Assuming Jones and Metu also make the roster, this seems like he’s gonna star in Stockton, but fans will be scratching their heads when he never gets a shot in a real NBA game.
Depends on Richaun. If he isn’t coming back, center spot is wide open.
You are absolutely right, I like Holmes.
But not like overpaying him.
And now we picked Queta, he got size and definitely can play along with those guards.
I don’t mind Holmes coming back or not, and it might save our salary cap.
Well 80% of all NBA second round picks are completely out of the league by year 5. Go look at all the draft results and most of the names are unrecognizable. You might hit on one every 6-7 years that becomes any kind of real rotation player for you, never mind a starter.
Kind of the nature of the business.
All true statistics.
My point is some teams make it a point to play young guys even good teams like the Blazers and Raptors and the Spurs especially after stints in the G-League.
I saw Swanigan, and Skal, and Wenyen Gabriel get stretches of time in Portland a few years ago and they’re constantly making room for Simons, CJ Elleby and Nazir Little just to prove something or not. That’s the difference. Kings haven’t given their 2nd rounders any extended opportunities at all, especially chasing the 8th seed when we should be developing our picks.
Even if we don’t hit on 90% of them, at least give them a shot. We drafted them for a reason.
Doesn’t really feel apples to apples at least recently. Little and Simons were first round picks and Top 10 recruits from their high school class. They definitely have perceived higher end talent than Woodard, James, Guy, Metu etc. Even then Little played just 600 mins.
Elleby played 200 mins last year. Justin James 300 and Kyle Guy 200. Metu was 2nd round pick they traded for played 500.
I guess I just don’t see this big missed opportunity. Just named 7 guys total and I’d be surprised if any of them are 8 man rotation players on a good team 5 years from now. Maybe Simons.
Most of the time, good players will play themselves onto the floor.
Looking at Woodard, his body seems to be the only NBA ready thing about him. Ramsey doesn’t even have that going for him at the moment. Guy and James could definitely stick around for a few years in Europe.
All of those assessments are fine but my gripe is this team’s plan to go for the 8th seed every year has hamstrung their ability to make decisions early on these 2nd rounders
Instead of a wasted year for Ramsey and Woodard, a normal bad team would have played them at the end and they’d have a better sense of if they can even play in the NBA.
They were handing development minutes to Davis, Jones, Metu, King and giving James and Guy one last gasp of air. The kind of tells me how ready Woodard and Ramsey were to play in the NBA.
Watched some videos of him. That kid is a freaky athlete with some great size and looks surprisingly agile. I have no idea why he wasn’t more highly regarded. Seems to have potential to be quite a force inside.
I got one pick I hoped for, at least. If we had gone wing with 9, I hoped for Queta or Bassey at 39, and if we had gone post I hoped for Edwards or Boston Jr.
Feeling pretty bummed with the Buddy deal seeming so close, not drafting Wagner/Moody/Sengun, Bouknight/Williams/Johnson/Murphy……but trying to have some hope that moves will follow.
Not interested in Monte’s presser tomorrow, he doesn’t really give much info in these- and it’s not like he’s gonna say who he wanted, so it will be a lot of compliments toward Davion and Neemias.
Great pick. Surprise I’ve not heard about this guy. My irritation with the draft today is McNair seems to gun for the
playoffplay-in from day one. If that’s the case, why did we even draft in the 2nd round last season when we should be gathering assets for playable vets to help right away. I can’t help but think Vivek is lurking around calling the shots on every move¦My favorite Neemias on the board at that time!
Did no one see Monty call out Greg and BabyG?
Haha just got done watching it that was funny but monte looks like shit.
Greg ruined not only marriage, but also ruined the draft.
lol
just watched the highlight tape, this guy is legit! Going to block some shots in this league, and some nice footwork to beat his man inside. Let’s go!
Heh, look who got a shoutout from Monte:
I like the pick. Hope he has a nasty side to him when it comes to protecting his teammates. We need some nasty on this team.
just hope he doesn’t lay bricks!
Is it weird that I am more excited about this pick than Mitchell at 9? I think this guy has big upside with the vision, sweet turn around jumpshot, and the defense. If he can develop some facing the basket moves, he will be a starting center in the league. Great pick imo.
Hey, ya’ll are back!
Did we lose an article? Did Monte bully G Wizzinginer and that Baby Giraffe guy into deleting content?
Nice upside swing in the second round.
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