The Boston Celtics have wrapped up a perfect preseason, culminating in a 114-93 win over the Charlotte Hornets on October 14. Head coach Joe Mazzulla's retooled roster is already showing impressive cohesion and tactical flexibility less than two weeks into training camp.
Mazzulla isn't waiting for the regular season to start tinkering. In the preseason home finale, he unexpectedly paired centers Mitchell Robinson and Neemias Queta together. That double-big combination challenged Charlotte on both ends, helping the offense operate more efficiently. Robinson and Queta combined for 28 points in the win, offering a glimpse of a new weapon for a team built on versatility.
"Mitch is one of the smartest players I've been around," Mazzulla told reporters. Robinson noted the coach's detailed approach, saying, "He gets on my ass a lot." This early experimentation is a Mazzulla trademark that helped last year's team win 56 games.
The Celtics dominated their exhibition schedule. They opened with a 124-113 road victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 8. They followed that with a stunning 144-106 blowout of the Philadelphia 76ers on October 10. The preseason concluded with the 114-93 handling of the Hornets, securing a 3-0 record.
Beyond the scores, individual developments stood out. Neemias Queta, who attempted just eight three-pointers all of last season, took three against Charlotte. While they didn't fall, the 7-footer is confident it can become a reliable option. "I think it can help us," Queta said postgame. "It can be a weapon that we can use at certain points."
The immediate focus shifts to the regular season opener. The Celtics travel to face the Philadelphia 76ers on October 16, a quick rematch after that lopsided preseason meeting.
Integrating newcomers like Paul George, the return piece in the Jaylen Brown trade, comes with pressure. Mazzulla, however, sees it as preparation. Giving Robinson and Queta an audition is just a snippet of Boston's philosophy. There's a clear buy-in from the roster, similar to what the 2024 championship group invested in. George, poised for a larger role than in Philadelphia, has looked the part despite some preseason shooting struggles. The team isn't committed to a fixed rotation. They'll attack in multiple ways to maximize their roster's considerable strengths, a strategy that wore down opponents throughout the preseason and has them looking sharp ahead of schedule.
