Mitchell Robinson’s first months in Boston have not gone the way the Celtics hoped when they handed him a three-year, $47.4 million deal in free agency.
Boston came into the move expecting Robinson to be a major piece, even naming him the starting center heading into the 2026-27 season and pushing Neemias Queta out of that role after Queta’s breakout last year. But the early returns have been uneven, and the Celtics have already gone back to Queta in the starting five. Robinson came off the bench Monday in Boston’s 109-93 loss to the Houston Rockets.
For Robinson, the issue is still getting comfortable in a new system after spending the first eight seasons of his career with the Knicks. He said he knows the clock is ticking.
“I gotta figure it out soon,” Robinson told reporters, via Bobby Krivitsky of Forbes. “At the end of the day, it’s still basketball. Things that I do naturally, I should just still be doing it, and I just haven’t found my rhythm yet.”
The numbers back up the eye test. Robinson finished Monday with just four rebounds, well below the kind of presence Boston expected from him on the boards. His offensive rebounding rate has fallen by more than half, and when he’s not dominating the glass or anchoring the rim, his value to the Celtics drops fast.
Robinson on adjusting to a new system:
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) November 3, 2026
“At the end of the day, it’s still basketball. Things that I do naturally, I should just still be doing it, and I just haven’t found my rhythm yet.” https://t.co/K7EY9xjdWW
There’s still plenty of season left for Robinson to settle in and get back to the level that made him such an appealing signing. But so far, the fit has been bumpy, and Boston hasn’t gotten the impact it paid for.
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