What Can the Boston Celtics Expect From Rookies Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell?

This is the first in a series of pieces examining what the Celtics can expect from each of their players this season. Today, we’re looking at their rookies. Tomorrow: Mike Conley.

The post-Jaylen Brown Boston Celtics are in an interesting spot. They have a foundational star in Jayson Tatum and they have some high-quality role players to support him. At the same time, they have some help that is obviously temporary and a group of probably too many young wings fighting for minutes.

That leaves Boston’s two rookies, Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell, more on the outside looking in for the time being, but still in a good spot to develop.

Mitchell recently signed his two-way contract with the Celtics, ending a brief storyline about potentially going back to school in the wake of a lawsuit against the NCAA. Cenac is on the standard rookie contract after being drafted 27th overall, so he is under team control for at least the next four seasons. Both are seen as projects with potential to earn spots in the rotation as they grow and learn.

But as they grow in Portland and try to hone the skills that will make them full-time NBA players, there will be some opportunity to apply the lessons they're learning in real time.

Cenac might get more of an opportunity than Mitchell at first, partly because his position gives him the best chance at some NBA minutes, and partly because being on a standard NBA contract doesn’t limit his availability like a two-way could.

Mitchell Robinson will likely miss a fair amount of time by skipping back-to-backs, so Cenac might have a few nights where he’s active and at the end of the bench. That allows him to be available for situational minutes, like needing a rebound in a close game to set up a last-second play, or getting some early misses if the Celtics are giving up too many offensive boards. Even if it’s “garbage time” at the end of a blowout, or maybe not even playing at all, just being part of the game, being engaged in what’s happening, and preparing just in case his number is called will put him into a mental state to process the game at a different level.

Beyond that, there's a chance Amari Williams isn’t effective in whatever stints he gets ahead of Cenac. It’s not out of the question to think Cenac could pass Williams on the depth chart, especially since Williams has a tendency to slow down and lose aggressiveness when he’s unsure of himself. Cenac seems to be a guy who will always err on the side of being aggressive and then having to dial it back, which is a trait coaches want to see. It’s much easier to tell someone to turn the volume down a notch or two than it is to try to draw more out of someone.

Cenac has honed a great skill in his rebounding, and if he can learn how to do it at NBA speed quickly, there's a chance he can find pockets here and there to show that off. The fair expectation would be it happening more situationally, much like it did with Williams last season, but taking advantage of those situations opens him up to earning more chances down the road. And because Luka Garza is a very specific kind of player, it’s possible Joe Mazzulla might look to Cenac in certain situations Garza might be less effective.

Mitchell’s NBA opportunities will likely depend on how quickly he fixes his jump shot. At the very least, he could find himself in the occasional back-to-back when the Celtics are down five with 10 seconds to go and they need to come up with a quick steal.

But the wing depth ahead of him gives Boston better, more polished options right now. Mitchell will have to really turn some heads at training camp to change that situation.

Because it’s the NBA, and we never know what a new year will bring until it’s here, we can’t rule out some surprising developments with these rookies. They had their impressive summer league moments, so it’s fun to imagine more from them. At the same time, what happens in Vegas often stays in Vegas, so unless their work in August and September have unlocked something unexpected, I’d say Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell will be situational performers, at best, for the Boston Celtics. If you want to see more out of them, book a trip to Portland, Maine, enjoy some local seafood, and take in a very fun G League game.

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