UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- So, earlier this week I was at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut taking in the UConn Huskies and Syracuse Orange exhibition matchup.

The Huskies won 72-52, but that's really besides the point. What stuck out to me was something that UConn head coach Dan Hurley said in his postgame press conference.

It was a quick comment, but it rang true to me as he said that Syracuse forward Sadiq White Jr. reminded him of current Boston Celtics rookie Dillon Mitchell, who Hurley obviously saw three times last season when he was a member of the St. John's roster.

From a basketball perspective, Hurley's comparison seems fairly spot on. White and Mitchell are both long, lanky, and athletic, with elite leaping ability. Both are left-handed and neither was really seen as a threat from the perimeter, though that's something that Mitchell is clearly working on with the Celtics.

Again, it was quick, but it then got my mind thinking about Mitchell again and how I hope to see him contribute for the Celtics this year.

We saw Hugo Gonzalez play in more than 70 games as a rookie, but the C's don't typically give big minutes to rookies. The roster has been too deep and the learning curve too steep. Jordan Walsh didn't see a lot of time as a rookie and Baylor Scheierman played in only 31 games in his first year.

With that in mind, maybe Mitchell is best suited for some time in the G-League, but whenever he gets his chances in Boston, I'm excited to see it unfold. You just can't teach athleticism like he has and for a C's team that has a lot of veterans like Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Derrick White and Mitchell Robinson, his youth will also be welcomed as well.

While it's obvious that the Celtics are going to be a three-point team offensively, it does seem like they are going to be pretty aggressive defensively. Mitchell can help on that front, as he has the ability to get in passing lanes, guard the wing or the post, and rebound.

The Celtics will be back in action on Friday night in the preseason finale against the Philadelphia 76ers. After that? It's on to Detroit, where the Celtics will open up the 2026-27 season on Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET.

Boston went 56-26 a year ago.