Coming into the offseason, Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens made it clear that he wanted help in the frontcourt who could make an impact around the basket. And while Boston missed out on a golden opportunity to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks, Stevens selected freshman Chris Cenac Jr. from Houston with the 27th pick in the NBA Draft.
Standing at 6'11", Cenac already has the physical look of an NBA player and has plenty of room to grow as a forward in the league. This is a scary thought for the other NBA teams that passed on him because he is already a proven contributor to winning teams.
In his one year at Houston, alongside lottery pick Kingston Flemings, Cenac averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds. He also showed an ability to space the floor, connecting on 30-90 three-point attempts. His nightly production helped the Cougars secure the second seed in this year's NCAA Tournament.
Since donning the Celtics uniform, the rookie has earned the respect of his Summer League head coach, Amile Jefferson. During a recent press conference, Jefferson spoke on his young forward:
"He's a mobile, live body willing to do whatever you ask of him. I love how active he is, and if you're around him for just 30 minutes on a basketball court, he's just oozing with talent. So I'm excited to see his growth. I've already seen it in the week and a half, two weeks he's been here..."Amile Jefferson, Boston Celtics
Chris Cenac Jr. just needs an opportunity to shine in Boston
This season, it may be tricky for Cenac to see consistent time on the court. All of a sudden, the Celtics have an excellent big rotation of Neemias Queta, Mitchell Robinson, and Luka Garza. It's important to note that both Queta's new contract and Robinson's free-agent contract are for multiple years.
With the paint on lockdown for the foreseeable future, a pair of elite guards in Payton Pritchard and Derrick White, and a top-5 player in the league in Jayson Tatum, Cenac will be in position once again to contribute to winning while continuing to develop his skills at the NBA level.
The Houston alum could not have gotten drafted to a better team than the Celtics. Not only are they the winningest team in the NBA, but the organization also has an excellent track record of drafting and developing talent. In recent years, the team has developed a glut of rotation players in Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Hugo Gonzalez.
Now is the time for Boston's coaching staff to take on Cenac, a player who has all the physical tools but needs to get it done on the NBA level. And if the team's history is an indication, mark my words: Chris Cenac Jr. will be the steal of the 2026 NBA Draft.
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