Dillon Mitchell and Chris Cenac Jr. will take the floor at training camp next week.
With training camp beginning next Tuesday, players are rolling into the Boston Celtics facility ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. The team posted a social media video of Paul George shooting 3's on Friday, and on Thursday, Isaiah Thomas linked up with first-round draft pick Chris Cenac Jr.
Bobby Manning of CLNS Celtics chimed in that Cenac and Dillon Mitchell, two rookies, have been drawing rave reviews for the work they put in this summer. We saw the duo on the floor at the Vegas Summer League, but we'll get a clearer look at them when the preseason schedule begins on Oct. 8.
How Cenac and Mitchell look in the preseason is one of the things I'll be most interested in following. Can both players contribute at the NBA level? Will one of them contribute? Or will both end up in the G-League? It remains to be seen, but both bring high upside and high athleticism.
About Cenac
Drafted with the No. 27 overall pick out of Houston, again, Cenac brings premium athleticism.
A 6-foot-11 center from New Orleans, Cenac played for Kelvin Sampson with the Cougars, seeing time in 37 games. He started 36 of those contests, playing 25 minutes a game and averaging 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds. Long and athletic, he also averaged 0.5 blocks per night and he also had 0.8 steals. We saw in Summer League that he's capable of hitting a 3-pointer, and we know how important that is to this team's offense.
The Celtics have brought in Mitchell Robinson and have Neemias Queta and Luka Garza already in the fold, so Cenac's time is not guaranteed.
About Mitchell
A four-year collegiate player who played at three different schools, Mitchell played an integral role in St. Johns's continued turnaround under Rick Pitino, helping the Red Storm earn a No. 5 seed in last year's NCAA Tournament. He was taken by the Celtics in the second round.
Mitchell began his career at Texas, starting 38 games as a true freshman and averaging 4.3 ppg before scoring 9.6 as a sophomore. He transferred to Cincinnati as a junior, scoring 9.9 ppg before landing at St. John's for his senior year. He averaged 8.3 ppg and seven rebounds while also dishing three assists per game.
He's listed at 6-foot-8. He was an All-Big East selection last season. Like Cenac, he played for a legendary coach which should give him a leg up on other rookies around the league in terms of understanding systems and styles of play.
He's not a perimeter threat at this time, which is important to note. He'll have to continue to develop that skillset.
