Neemias Queta having a breakout season with the Boston Celtics this year took a lot of fans and analysts of the team by surprise. But if you ask former Sacramento Kings teammate Keon Ellis, Queta is just refining the same play he was bringing to the Kings before that team elected to move on from him to the Celtics’ evident benefit.

“We had a really good team, and we played together …,” said Ellis after his Kings lost to the Celtics at TD Garden Friday (Jan. 30) night. “Just a really great player (at) what he does, protecting the rim, (being) great screen setter and roller. So, yeah, everything he’s doing now, it was just the same thing back then. So, glad to see he’s doing it.”

As to whether he saw the starting-caliber big man in Queta’s play when they both were suiting up for Sacramento, Ellis did not hesitate.

“Oh yeah, absolutely,” recalled the Kings guard. “Rim protector, roll a lot, a lot of teams can use that and need guys like that, so, definitely.”

“We both knew going in, I think it was actually our first preseason game together in LA, and we both knew we were going to kill in the G League. So, yeah, (he) was a lot of fun playing with.”

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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Keon Ellis knew Neemias Queta had what it takes to make it in the NBA