Neemias Queta says the Celtics trust him to shoot threes: ‘Just gotta make them’

BOSTON — Oct. 14, 2026 — Neemias Queta is not waiting for the regular season to expand his range. After Boston’s 114-93 preseason win over Charlotte, he said the staff already trusts him to let it fly — and that the offseason work is meant to stick.

“I’ve been making a couple of them in the offseason. They trust me to shoot them. Just gotta make them,” Queta said, per Zack Cox. He knocked down a foot-on-the-line corner three Wednesday and, Cox noted, has attempted nearly as many threes through two preseason games (five) as he did across all of last season (eight).

Neemias Queta on shooting threes this preseason:

“They trust me to take them, I just have to make them” pic.twitter.com/jAfLEK1ffR

— Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo) October 15, 2026

Mazzulla wants the shot — with timing

Joe Mazzulla backed the green light with a caveat about shot quality. Justin Turpin captured the coach afterward: “I want to empower him to take his game to a different level. At the same time, we have to fight to get the best shots at the right time.”

That sits next to a separate ask Mazzulla made the same night about Queta’s handle in double-big looks with Mitchell Robinson — playmaking growth, not just rim finishes. The three-point comments are the other half of the same idea: Queta as more than a dunker when Boston spaces the floor.

What the night looked like

Queta scored 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting off the bench as Boston improved to 3-0 in the preseason. Jayson Tatum led the starters with 19 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals in 29 minutes. Derrick White added 17. Robinson went 5-for-5 for 12 points with seven rebounds and three blocks. The Celtics forced 30 turnovers and won the paint 56-20 even while losing the three-point battle.

Why it matters

Last season Queta barely hunted threes. Two exhibitions into this camp, Cox’s count already shows a new rate, and Queta’s own words frame it as a staff-backed habit rather than a one-night experiment. Opening night in Detroit is Oct. 20. The message from Wednesday is clear enough for a big who still eats at the rim — if the corner is open, he is supposed to shoot it.