hWhen the Boston Celtics drafted Chris Cenac Jr., they knew he would be a developmental project.
Throughout his one-and-done tenure with Houston, Cenac flashed upside as an athletic rim-runner with a soft shooting touch, especially from mid-range. However, his questionable finishing around the rim, and defensive positioning are both areas that need some work.
Interestingly, it would appear Boston’s coaching staff believed that Cenac needed to improve on his shot blocking, too. When speaking to the media following the Celtics 102-90 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in Las Vegas Summer League, Cenac admitted that his shot blocking has been a focus point for his new coaches.
“That’s something that they’ve been preaching to me since I’ve gotten here that I need to do,” Cenac said. “And I’m a player that’s going to do whatever it takes. Whatever the organization needs me to do. So, that’s something I’m emphasizing in my game while I’m on the court.”
Interestingly, Cenac has recorded nine blocks in his first three Summer League games, despite only swatting away 18 attempts throughout Houston’s entire season.
Still, Cenac will find shot blocking much more difficult once he faces off against legitimate NBA talent, which is why his coaching staff will be placing such a premium on his continued development.
Celtics Other Rookie Is Also Earning Praise
While Cenac has certainly been earning some much-deserved praise for his two-way production in Summer League, he hasn’t been Boston’s only rookie to impress.
When speaking to the media after Mitchell’s standout night against the Charlotte Hornets, Boston’s Summer League head coach, Amile Jefferson, praised the second-round picks’ approach to the game.
“He was so alive today,” Jefferson said. “He played with such great energy, he crashed every time, and e had, like, three different times where he almost had a tip dunk. When he’s playing with that kind of pop, he’s going to be really good. And then any time he gets an open three, he should shoot it. He did that today, and he was confident.”
Both Cenac and Mitchell have flashed elite athleticism throughout their time in Vegas. If they continue to perform at a high level, there’s no reason to believe that they can’t earn minutes under Mazzulla at points during the season.
Celtics Rookies Have Another Chance To Impress
Both Cenac and Mitchell will have at least one more game to impress the coaching and front office staff. The Celtics are scheduled to face the Sacramento Kings for their fourth, and potentially final game in the desert.
Boston and Sacramento will go head-to-head on Wednesday, July 15. Jefferson will likely lean on the athleticism and energy the rookie duo provide. They could potentially try to outrun a talented Kings roster.
Brad Stevens has done a fantastic job in finding exciting talents late in the first and second round of the draft in recent years. By the looks of things, he’s done it again in Cenac and Mitchell. Of course, only time will tell if either rookie is capable of breaking in to Boston’s rotation.
Still, on first glance, everything looks good.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Celtics Rookie Reveals Major Area Of Focus appeared first on HEAVY.