During the NBA draft, the Boston Celtics had the 27th pick and selected forward Chris Cenac Jr. He was the sixth-ranked player in the 2025 high school recruiting class.
Cenac played for the Houston Cougars last season in college and played in 37 games (36 starts). The 19-year-old averaged 9.5 rebounds and 7.9 rebounds, while shooting 48.5% from the field and 33.3% from three.
While those numbers might be the most eye-popping, fans should be excited for what he can bring to the Celtics.
Boston gets a high motor rebounder in Chris Cenac Jr.
When watching Cenac, the biggest thing that stood out was watching him fight for rebounds. After a shot goes up, you'll find Cenac fighting for the board, whether he can grab it himself or tip it out for a teammate.
While he played forward at Houston this past season, his measurements at the combine could see him play the center position at the next level. During the NBA draft combine, Cenac measured in at 6'10.25 (barefoot), with a 7'5 wingspan and 9'0.5 standing reach. Given the Celtics' front-court issues in the playoffs, Cenac could be a huge help for the team.
Defensively, the Louisiana native has a lot of promise, especially due to his size and length. He's also shown comfort guarding out on the perimeter and being a switchable defender. We saw in the playoffs how often the Celtics centers got attacked in pick-and-rolls; Cenac would help the team by being able to hold his own on a switch.
Though Cenac shows a lot of reason to be excited for him, he still has room to grow offensively. His overall offensive game still needs to be developed, but he has shown flashes of potential as a finisher, shooter, and even as a ball-handler. He has good shooting mechanics, but needs more reps and needs to improve at creating for himself.
Currently, he won't blow you away with his playmaking, still needing to better read the floor. Looking at his offense, Cenac doesn't have much of a post game, which may make taking advantage of size mismatches more difficult.
Going back to his defense, Cenac wasn't much of a rim protector at Houston. He only averaged 0.5 blocks per game, which is a little concerning given his size. Playing next to Joseph Tugler could've impacted him, but it's still something to watch for at the NBA level.
Chris Cenac Jr. addresses Boston's frontcourt concerns for the long haul
It was clear that the Celtics' biggest issue during the playoffs was the team's frontcourt, and Boston now has one of the most interesting big men from this draft. While Cenac may not be a day-one rotation player, he has all the tools to succeed at the next level.
Looking back at the Celtics' recent history with big men, they've been able to develop them well. Luke Kornet arrived in Boston as a fringe roster player and became a consistent rotation guy. Neemias Queta went from getting DNPs in 2024 to being the team's starter this season. Even Luka Garza, in one year with Boston, turned in the best season in his career, setting multiple career highs this season.
Though Boston only held one first-round pick, they do have pick 40 in the second round of the draft, and one player still available for Boston that would be a great fit is Arkansas guard Maleek Thomas.
For Cenac, the first chance to see him in green will be during the NBA's Las Vegas Summer League, which begins on July 9th.
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