The Celtics didn’t pay Mitchell Robinson to sit idle, but they also shouldn’t pretend he’s a clean fit for a nightly starting job. Boston brought him in on a three-year, $47.3 million deal, and the smartest way to use him is the way the Knicks did during their title run: keep him in a controlled role, bring him off the bench, and let him punish teams in bursts.
That approach fits Robinson’s game. He is a difference-maker on defense and on the glass, the kind of big who can change the shape of a game without needing the ball.
But the limitations are real, and they’re obvious enough that Joe Mazzulla won’t have much choice in the matter. Robinson’s free-throw shooting and offensive issues make him a player who has to be managed carefully.
If the game turns into Hack-a-Mitch territory, Boston has to be willing to sit him. He shot 40.8 percent from the line last season and has made 50.8 percent over his eight-year NBA career.
The Knicks already showed the blueprint. Mike Brown used Robinson for less than ten minutes in two of the final nine games of the title run, then leaned on him for 20 huge minutes in the championship-clinching game.
Brown also went to him for more than 30 minutes against the Pacers when Robinson delivered a 20-point, 22-rebound double-double. But most nights, the workload stayed in a narrow lane.
He played under 15 minutes only three times, and in 50 games he landed somewhere between 15 and 25 minutes. That’s the sweet spot.
Boston should copy that formula. Robinson can share the center minutes with Neemias Queta, and the Celtics can use both bigs in the role that suits them best.
Robinson made more money than Queta, even when the incumbent Celtics starter’s extension kicks in, but salary doesn’t change the basketball math here. Less is more.
That matters even more because of Robinson’s availability. He was a starter for four straight years, but during that stretch he averaged only 48.3 games per season.
Last season, he got into 60 games for the first time since 2022, and fewer minutes clearly helped. The Celtics need the same thing: a healthy Robinson who can be effective when it counts.
He already showed he can handle that kind of assignment. Robinson started 16 regular season games last season, including 12 with Karl-Anthony Towns in the lineup, but the bigger lesson is what happened around those starts.
The Knicks didn’t force the issue. They used him when he helped, cut back when they needed to go smaller, and kept his impact focused on rebounding and rim protection.
That’s the job for Mazzulla now. Play Robinson around 20 minutes a night, stretch him to 25 when the matchup calls for it, and keep the leash short enough to protect him through the regular season.
The Celtics are trying to get the version of Robinson that helped New York finish the job. The clearest path is the one the Knicks already laid out.
In Other News...
Celtics Just Gained New Flexibility With Paul Georges Massive Contract
The Celtics summer reshaped itself around Paul George from the moment they landed him from Philadelphia in July, but the structure of that move came with an important catch. Under NBA CBA rules, Boston could not initially aggregate Georges salary with other contracts in a trade, which limited how much maneuvering room the front office had while exploring the rest of the market.
That restriction is set to expire on Sept. 6, giving the Celtics more flexibility if they choose to use Georges contract as part of a larger deal. There is no confirmed indication Boston is looking to move him, and president Brad Stevens has spoken positively about Georges fit, but the added option matters for a team that likes keeping pathways open as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Browns Boston Goodbye Just Made His Next Chapter Feel Bigger
After 10 years with the Celtics, Jaylen Brown got a proper Boston sendoff, one fitting for a player who became far more than just a star on the court. The farewell event included recognition from the city and state, with a street now bearing his name, a rare gesture that underscored how deeply he was woven into the franchises modern run and the citys basketball identity.
Browns next stop, though, puts him into a very different kind of spotlight. In Philadelphia, he is set to join a core that includes LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey as the 76ers chase an NBA title, and the move brings with it a fresh set of expectations, role questions and adjustment points. For a player who spent a decade in one place, the biggest change may not be the uniform so much as the fit, and how quickly he settles into a contender built to win now. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Face A Real Rotation Test Whenever Paul George Sits
Paul Georges workload is already shaping up to be a key part of Bostons rotation planning, and the Celtics have reason to be careful with it. Given his injury history, the idea is that he could be handled more like Al Horford was in his final years with the team, with rest days built into the schedule rather than pushed to the edge. That creates an immediate lineup puzzle for Boston, even with Jayson Tatum anchoring things.
The Celtics would need someone to absorb those minutes and keep the group functional, and three names stand out in that conversation: Hugo Gonzalez, Sam Hauser and Jordan Walsh. Each brings a different look, and all of them have a path to fitting next to Tatum when George is out. The bigger question is how Boston rearranges the rest of the floor on those nights, because the answer could say a lot about how flexible this roster really is. [Read more 🡒]