The Boston Celtics have opened the season looking solid enough on both ends, but there’s still a nagging feeling that the group can be better. A big part of that conversation has landed on Mitchell Robinson, the newly acquired center whose early production has fallen well short of what Boston hoped to get.
Through his first six games with the Celtics, Robinson has looked nothing like the player fans remember from his New York Knicks days. That’s where the frustration comes from: the reputation is still there, but the results haven’t matched it yet.
The biggest issue has been on the glass. Robinson has already had five games with fewer than two offensive rebounds, which is a startling number when stacked against last season. With the Knicks in a larger role, he reached that mark in only 14 games all year.
“Over six games played with the Celtics, Robinson has already posted five with two offensive rebounds or fewer after only 14 such games all of last season with the New York Knicks. Statistically one of the best offensive rebounders ever - he entered this season tied with Dennis Rodman in career offensive rebound percentage - Robinson is on pace to set a career low in that category,” Jay King wrote.
That’s why the reaction out of Boston has been so sharp. Robinson was supposed to be a clean fit, a player whose offensive rebounding could give the Celtics an edge every night. Instead, the early returns have left plenty of room for concern.
Still, it’s too soon to write him off. Robinson has built his career on doing this at a high level, and the Celtics are banking on that version of him showing up before long. For now, though, the pressure is clearly building for him to turn things around.
In Other News...
Celtics Could Get A Needed Backcourt Boost Sooner Than Expected
Joe Mazzullas latest update on Devin Carter offered a small but meaningful bit of encouragement for a Celtics backcourt that could use all the help it can get. Carter has been working his way back after a bout with mononucleosis, and Boston has kept him in a reconditioning phase as he ramps up again. The next step has him getting practice work with the Celtics G League affiliate, a sign the team is trying to build him back carefully rather than rush the process.
For Boston, the timing matters because any guard depth it can recover sooner rather than later helps ease the strain on the rotation. Carters status is still being monitored, and the Celtics plan to take another look at where he stands soon, with a chance he could be available for Maines season opener on Friday. It is not a full return yet, but it does suggest the organization sees a path to getting him back on the floor earlier than some might have expected. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Suddenly Have A Payton Pritchard Problem Before Key Road Trip
The Celtics left Milwaukee with a win, but they may have picked up a fresh concern in the process. Payton Pritchard was already working through a right-shoulder contusion, and his night took another turn when he exited in the second half with a right-eye abrasion. Boston still managed to close out the Bucks without Jayson Tatum, who was resting, leaning on Paul George and Derrick White to get the job done.
Now the bigger question is what Pritchards status looks like heading into a four-game road trip. He has become a useful part of Bostons rotation, and any uncertainty around his availability matters more when the schedule is about to get busier and the margin for error gets thinner. The Celtics got the result they wanted against Milwaukee, but they may have to wait a little longer to find out how much this latest issue lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Just Sent An Early Message About Their First Round Pick
The Celtics are taking a development-first approach with Chris Cenac Jr., sending the recent first-round pick to the Maine Celtics so he can get more run and more reps than Boston can currently provide. Cenac has been in the mix for only three of the teams first eight games, and with other players ahead of him in the rotation, the organization is choosing the route that should give him a steadier path to growth.
For a rookie still trying to carve out his place, the assignment is less a setback than a reminder of how crowded the Celtics roster can be early in a season. Maine gives Boston a chance to keep Cenac active and learning in real game situations, and his next step is set to come with the G League club as it prepares for a matchup with the Westchester Knicks. [Read more 🡒]