The Boston Celtics selected Chris Cenac Jr. with the 27th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The pickup was widely considered to be a steal for Boston, as Cenac had previously been expected to come off the board in the late teens or early 20s.
Throughout Boston’s four games at Las Vegas Summer League, Cenac has stood out for his athleticism, multi-level scoring touch and shot blocking ability. As such, Celtics fans are excited about his potential and what his development will look like.
Cenac has also been playing with a point to prove. He’s had multiple sequences that have illustrated his two-way upside and how his game will translate to the pros. When speaking with the media following Boston’s 82-76 win over the Sacramento Kings, Cenac gave a defiant warning to the rest of the NBA.
“I dropped way lower than I was supposed to in the draft, so I’m coming out, showing everybody what I’m capable of doing and regretting the decision that they made,” Cenac said.
In Boston’s four Summer League games, Cenac averaged 10.5 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 2.8 blocks per night. He shot 36.6% from the field and 27.3% from three-point range. As such, Cenac will likely place a lot of focus on improving his scoring throughout his rookie season.
Cenac Has Already Displayed Huge Upside
When speaking with Sean Deveney of Heavy on Sports, under the condition of anonymity, one NBA scout spoke candidly about the upside Cenac has been displaying at Summer League, compared to what we saw from him in college with Houston.
“The blocked shot thing, it is really because they liked putting him on the perimeter and letting him defend, and he would so often wind up guarding outside the paint. He is very athletic and you can use his length out there. If you put him under the basket or on the block, it is going to be a different story. And he can rebound for you. You’re already seeing enormous improvement in just being a center, doing center kind of things.”
The scout continued.
“There was a lot of untapped upside with him because of where he was on the floor, and it was offensively, too. He spent too much time at the elbow and he is nota great midrange guy. He just never adjusted to what they asked him to do and Kelvin (Sampson) never really found a comfort zone with him. But I always felt like if he got into the NBA and spaced more, it could click for him.”
Celtics Asking Cenac To Work On Shot Blocking
Cenac ended his Summer League with a total of 12 blocked shots in four games. When speaking with the media following Boston’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, July 13, Cenac noted that the Celtics coaching staff had been pushing him to work on his shot blocking skills.
“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.”
Cenac will likely split his time between the Boston Celtics and Maine Celtics next season. However, on first glance, it would appear Brad Stevens has acquired an exciting talent. In fact, Cenac could quickly establish himself as part of Joe Mazzulla’s roster.
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