Mitchell Robinson could give the Celtics exactly what they need next season: size, rebounding, defense, and a steady presence around the rim. But there’s a catch Boston already knows too well.
His free-throw shooting is a glaring issue, and if it doesn’t improve, it could become a problem the Celtics end up trying to solve in real time.
That’s where the tension comes in. Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics have leaned on the “hack-a-Shaq” approach in recent seasons, and Robinson was one of the Knicks players they targeted most often with intentional fouls. The logic was simple: send him to the line, live with the two shots, and avoid giving up something worse.
It worked as a tactic, but it also dragged the game into molasses and could only be pushed so far before foul trouble started to pile up. If Robinson keeps missing at a poor rate, opposing teams will keep reaching for that same strategy.
That would put Boston in an awkward spot, since it’s a method the Celtics themselves have used plenty. And even when opponents aren’t intentionally hunting him, missed free throws can still chip away at the scoreboard over the course of a game.
Robinson shot a career-worst 40.8% from the line this past season. Nobody should expect him to suddenly become a different player overnight, but Boston will need to get him back into at least the mid-to-high 60% range if they want to avoid turning a useful rotation piece into a late-game liability.
In Other News...
Derrick White Still Has One Big Thing To Fix For Boston
Derrick Whites value to Boston has never really been in doubt. He remains the kind of all-around defender and connective piece the Celtics can build around, and Brian Windhorst of ESPN recently reported that the team even believed White had a better season than Jaylen Brown in 2025-26, a view that lines up with the way many around the league see him as a better value player. His ability to fit into almost any lineup has kept him central to Bostons success, especially as one of the teams most reliable glue guys.
Still, there is one area the Celtics need to watch closely if they want to contend again. Whites offensive efficiency dipped, with his shooting percentages slipping in both the regular season and the playoffs, and that matters for a player whose impact is supposed to stretch beyond defense and versatility. Boston can live with White doing a little of everything, but for him to keep the Celtics on the championship track, the shot has to come back. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Took A Late Swing On Chris Cenac Jr For One Reason
Bostons late first-round swing on Chris Cenac Jr. came with the kind of profile the Celtics like to bet on: a highly regarded center out of Houston, a player with real tools and a runway to grow. At 27th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Celtics added a big man who already flashed some of the traits that can matter in their system, and his early Summer League work has only added to the sense that there is something worth developing here.
Cenacs college coach, Kelvin Sampson, sounded comfortable with the fit, pointing to the Celtics culture and coaching staff as the kind of environment that can turn promise into production. That matters for a team making a late swing on a young center, because the path is usually about patience, teaching and opportunity, and Cenac has already shown enough in Summer League to keep the conversation going. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Nearly Took A Very Different Path In The Jays Era
Before the Celtics' current core settled into place, Boston was already circling a very different kind of move. In 2017, the team engaged in serious trade talks with Indiana for Paul George, who was on an expiring contract and had made it clear he wanted out. At the time, it was the kind of swing that could have changed the entire direction of the franchise as the Jays era was beginning to take shape.
Instead, George landed in Oklahoma City, and Boston kept building along another route with Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving. It is easy now to look back and wonder how different the roster choices would have looked if the Celtics had landed George, especially with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown still early in their development. The alternate path is what makes this one linger. [Read more 🡒]