Possessions are the whole game for the Boston Celtics, and Mitchell Robinson is the kind of player who can tilt that battle by himself.
That’s the part of his value that jumps out here: not just defense, but the way he manufactures extra chances. Robinson’s offensive rebounding is the engine. Boston has seen enough of it to know exactly how dangerous it can be, which is why Joe Mazzulla has intentionally fouled Robinson in the past just to get him off the floor.
Even with that reputation, his work on the glass still seems to fly a little under the radar. Robinson has long been one of the league’s best offensive rebounders, but the numbers from last season make the point even louder.
He played only 19.6 minutes per game as the New York Knicks managed his workload to keep him healthy through the season and the playoffs, yet he still averaged 4.2 offensive rebounds a night. That was second in the NBA, behind only Donovan Clingan’s 4.5, and Clingan was doing it in 27.2 minutes per game.
The raw totals only tell part of the story, though. Offensive rebounding percentage gives a sharper picture because it measures the share of a team’s missed shots a player grabs.
On Basketball Reference’s league leaders page, Robinson didn’t qualify because he didn’t log enough minutes. The leaderboard showed Clingan at 17.7%, followed by Moussa Diabate at 16.5%, Jalen Duren at 15.3%, Rudy Gobert at 14.1%, and Neemias Queta at 13.5%.
Put Robinson into that group anyway, and he jumps to the top without much debate. His offensive rebounding percentage was 23.9%, which would have led the league by a wide margin. Nearly one out of every four missed shots his team put up came back to him.
In Other News...
Celtics Fans Just Got Their First Look At Bostons New Core
Bostons new-look core is already starting to take shape, and the first public glimpse came with Paul George, Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley all stopping by the Celtics training facility. The trio, brought in for the 2026-27 season after the Jaylen Brown trade, was featured in an official team video that gave fans their first real sense of how the group will look together in green.
Brad Stevens has already weighed in on the fit, pointing to what each player can add as Boston reshapes its roster around a different mix of talent and experience. For Celtics fans, the visit offered more than just a welcome photo-op - it was an early look at how the organization plans to move forward after one of its biggest roster swings in years. [Read more 🡒]
Jayson Tatums New Celtics Role Is Already Coming Into Focus
Jayson Tatum is already back in offseason training as he eyes the 2026-27 NBA season, and the early shape of his return says plenty about where the Celtics are headed next. After the torn Achilles tendon that limited him to 16 games last season, Tatum has been easing back into work, including boxing sessions with head coach Joe Mazzulla, a small detail that still speaks to a bigger point about how Boston wants him engaged and conditioned.
The change in the roster has only sharpened that picture, with Jaylen Brown now in Philadelphia and the Celtics needing Tatum to shoulder more of the offense. The numbers from past seasons back up that direction, too, since Boston has generally fared well when Tatums usage climbs above 33%, which suggests the team is not just hoping for a bigger load from him but building toward one. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Rookies Face Very Different Paths To Early Playing Time
The Celtics brought in two rookies with development in mind, but their early paths look very different. Chris Cenac Jr. has the cleaner runway to crack the rotation sooner, while Dillon Mitchell is working from a more complicated spot in the roster picture. Boston has a pair of young players who are still viewed as projects, yet both carry the kind of long-term upside that can matter once a team starts looking for cheap, useful minutes.
Mitchells challenge is especially tricky because he is battling for attention behind more established wings, and the first step is sharpening his jump shot enough to make the staff trust him in game action. Cenac, meanwhile, has the benefit of a standard rookie deal and the kind of contract status that can make it easier for the Celtics to give him a look when opportunities open up. For a team that values growth as much as fit, these next few months should say plenty about how quickly either rookie can turn promise into a real role. [Read more 🡒]