NBA Comparison: Dewayne Dedmon

Strengths: Queta is the tallest player in the draft, has the longest wingspan, and was a top five finisher among centers in the max vertical leap, standing vertical leap, lane agility and three-quarter sprint test at the combine…Those impressive rankings help show why Queta is such an impactful player near the basket…The Utah State product averaged 14.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, while hitting almost 56% of his attempts. The 7’0 Portuguese center is also a violent shot blocker, tied for third in the country with 2.4 rejections per contest…He is extremely physical around the rim on both ends of the court, and loves for punish smaller defenders inside with dunks and layups…He has a couple good post moves that he can score with when matched up on bigger defenders…Isn’t very fast, but runs the floor well and can use his length to deter quicker guards and forwards…With an improving free throw percentage up to 71, the former Aggie shows potential of being able to step farther out from the rim to score…You can’t teach his size and athleticism combo, and he could make for a useful defensive piece on the interior, or to punish a team inside for going small.

Weaknesses: Queta is a traditional center, a position that has become exponentially less valuable as the three-point look and analytics continue to transform the NBA…Queta is not a threat from three, and isn’t much of a shooter outside of the paint, limiting his offensive effectiveness…His strength on offense is his size, post moves and rebounding, but all of those have become less necessary as teams have become toying with the idea of smaller players who are capable of switching, hitting threes and defending numerous positions…Queta simply doesn’t fit that mold, as he really can only defend the interior, and won’t be able to switch anything…Teams might attach him consistently with the pick and roll, as his lack of speed covering guards could create easy chances if they can get the big man in space…Real questions about the lack of competition for the Utah State junior, as the Mountain West Conference does not have many elite options to slow down the tallest player in the draft…As the centers are closer to his size and strength, he will need to have more finesse and post moves to create separation.

Notes: Measured 6’11.25” barefoot, 7’0.5” in shoes 9’4.5” standing reach, 248.4 lbs, and 7’4.0” wingspan at the 2021 NBA Draft Combine …

Michael Hopp 7/26/21