Mitchell Robinson arrived in Boston carrying a reputation the Celtics were counting on: the kind of big man who can tilt a playoff series with extra possessions, rim protection, and the chaos he creates around the basket. That’s the player Boston expected after he so memorably hurt them in the Knicks’ playoff run a year and a half ago, when his offensive rebounding helped New York steal games it had no business winning, including two straight comeback victories from 20-plus points down.
So far, though, the early returns have been rough.
Robinson opened the season in the starting lineup, but the Celtics have been badly outplayed with him on the floor. In four games, Boston owns a net rating of minus-35 when Robinson is out there, the worst mark on the team. That number stands out even more because the Celtics have been plus-25.8 with Neemias Queta on the court, a figure topped only by Sam Hauser among the team’s regular rotation players.
Tuesday night, Robinson had a chance to change the conversation. Boston was stuck in a game where its three-point touch didn’t really show up until midway through the third quarter, the kind of night when a center like Robinson is supposed to make his presence felt anyway. Instead, he finished with just two offensive rebounds and a minus-17 plus-minus in a Celtics win by one.
Luka Garza, meanwhile, posted a plus-18. Yikes. Boston still escaped thanks to Jayson Tatum and Jordan Walsh, but the spotlight was on Robinson, and he didn’t use the stage to make his case.
The tape hasn’t helped him much either. His lift has looked limited, and there have been moments where he appeared caught off guard when the ball came his way. He simply doesn’t look like the same player who sent the Celtics home in 2025.
There is at least one obvious possible explanation: the ankle injury. Robinson sprained it just a few minutes into Opening Day against the Pistons, not long after the season began. That could be behind the mobility issues that have shown up early.
There’s also the possibility that Boston may be asking him to do his best work in the wrong role. Robinson was at his most effective with the Knicks coming off the bench, and there’s a case that he’d be more comfortable back in that kind of second-unit setting if that’s the better fit here too.
And while Robinson struggles, the rest of the picture around him isn’t exactly helping his case. Queta has been better.
Garza has brought energy. Paul George has exceeded expectations despite the backlash to the trade that brought him in.
It’s still early, and there’s plenty of season left. But Robinson’s runway as Boston’s starting center is already getting shorter.
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Joe Mazzulla appears content to keep Pritchard in that sixth-man lane, with Jordan Walsh getting the start instead, but the debate is starting to bubble up for a reason. When the Celtics are short-handed, there is a clear case for giving Pritchard more runway with the first group, and his shot creation has become too important to treat as a luxury no matter where he enters the game. [Read more 🡒]