Summer League isn’t the finish line and progression isn’t linear, but it didn’t take long for 19-year-old Chris Cenac Jr. to command attention in that arena.
Game after game, Cenac checked several important boxes, showcasing elite rim protection, impressive mobility, and flashes of an evolving offensive skill set that stood out throughout post-draft exhibition. Across four games, Cenac averaged 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 turnovers on 37/27/71 shooting splits in just 23 minutes a contest.
Summer League also reinforced that Cenac remains a long-term developmental prospect. Much like his college film suggested, his inconsistent shooting efficiency and elevated turnover rate underscored an offensive game that is still very much a work in progress. Still, the flashes were impossible to ignore. At 6-foot-11, the No. 27 overall pick showed real flashes in every aspect of basketball that foreshadows a scary full form, if he polishes correctly.
Cenac’s shooting percentages in Summer League were underwhelming, but the underlying indicators remain encouraging. His shooting mechanics are fluid, and he looked comfortable getting into his jumper both off the catch and on the move, suggesting the shooting upside most coin him with.
In college, he shot 33% from behind the arc on 90 attempts, 58% on 38 short mid-range attempts, and 39% on 90 long mid-ranges. Although the percentages aren’t eye-popping, they suggest a shooting foundation that, combined with his mechanics and confidence, could develop into a reliable perimeter weapon over time.
While the shooting projects well, it’s only one piece of Cenac’s offensive ceiling in my opinion. His flashes of putting the ball in the basket extend far beyond just shooting. He possesses the touch, footwork, and mobility to eventually develop into a multi-level offensive threat.
The flashes of self-creation at that size were really something to behold. He consistently showed the ability to attack from the perimeter, putting the ball on the floor with surprising fluidity and finishing at the rim. This included him driving with crossovers, spin moves, and a first step that doesn’t make much sense for someone his height. Perhaps most impressive, Cenac occasionally got his dribble low enough to dip beneath defenders, allowing him to turn the corner and get his shoulders past them before using his length and athleticism to finish.
The shot making versatility that a fully formed Cenac can bring to the Celtics is the stuff of dreams — a long way to achieve that though.
Even though Cenac obviously has touch as a jump shooter, he’s not a reliable one yet which is why I felt he was miscast usage-wise on offense at Houston if the goal was to maximize him. A big guy this athletic only had 72 attempts at the rim last season (76% from there), but shot more than 150 jumpers.
Houston’s roster construction caused Cenac to float around the mid-range for most offensive possessions instead of doing what he was most equipped to do which is finish at the rim.
He was able to show that supreme athleticism that can make him a viable finisher at the next level very early.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Cenac’s game was his passing. Based on his college film, at least from what I saw, there weren’t many possessions that suggested he possessed above-average feel or processing in that department.
While I still wouldn’t characterize him as a natural passer, he displayed noticeably more high-level processing in his four Summer League games than I saw throughout his college tape. Whether it was making the extra pass, recognizing weak-side help, or quickly reading the defense out of the short roll, Cenac showed encouraging flashes that suggest there may be more playmaking upside than previously thought.
If you’re going to be a big man in Boston’s system, screening is a skill that must be mastered. The Celtics’ offense relies heavily on physical, well-timed screens to create advantages, making it a critical area of evaluation for any frontcourt prospect.
Entering Summer League, I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of Cenac as a screener. Much of that uncertainty stemmed from Houston’s roster construction. Spending the majority of the season at power forward limited his opportunities as an on-ball screener. Not only did that role push him toward a jump-shot-heavy offensive workload, but it also prevented him from gaining consistent reps in one of the most important responsibilities for an NBA big.
After watching his Summer League film, however, I came away believing Cenac is further along as a screener than I initially thought. What stood out most was his screening angle IQ. He recognized how defenders were navigating the action and showed little hesitation in adjusting his screens accordingly, whether that meant flipping or twisting the angle to create a better advantage for the ball handler. Understanding screening angles and having minimal lag time in processing what screen is needed versus what defensive coverage is vital.
It wasn’t a flawless performance, as Cenac still mixed in a handful of illegal screens. Even so, the foundation he showed as a screener was more advanced than I expected. Considering where he’s starting from, I have little doubt he’ll continue to refine that aspect of his game within Boston’s development system. There is a strong foundation there.
If I had to pick the skill most likely to translate to the NBA from Day 1, it would be Cenac’s rebounding.
His combination of elite athleticism, length, and relentless motor made him one of the premier rebounders in college basketball last season. He finished among the nation’s top 20 in Defensive Rebound percentage (26.1%) while averaging eight rebounds in just under 25 minutes per game, a level of production that carried over almost identically to Summer League.
That athletic ability coupled with his rebound chasing mentality enables him to absolutely sky for boards pretty regularly and get ones out of his area. He initiates contact and boxes out well most times but even when he doesn’t, he still has that vertical to fall back on.
Last but certainly not least is Cenac’s defense.
As mentioned throughout this evaluation, there is still significant development ahead of him in nearly every area of the game, and defense is no exception. Like most young big men entering the NBA, Cenac’s awareness, positioning, and overall defensive technique will require refinement before he reaches the All-Defensive caliber ceiling I believe he possesses. Despite those developmental areas, Cenac still made a massive impact as a rim protector and overall defender throughout his Summer League appearances.
There was a ton of speculation before and after the NBA Draft about whether Cenac could actually be a rim protector at the next level. He posted bafflingly low block numbers as a freshman, only averaging 0.5 a game and a 2.6 block percentage.
While playing the four certainly didn’t help his shot blocking numbers, there was just no way someone with that athletic profile couldn’t get at least one block a game in my mind. I also thought that there was no way he wouldn’t be a more impactful protector of the rim at the next level. July hoops isn’t the real “next level,” but Cenac averaged three blocks a game in Vegas including two separate performances with four blocks, despite recording only one game with multiple blocks throughout his entire college season. He was able to effectively challenge and block shots at the rim and beyond at such a high level.
Cenac is also able to hold his own away from the rim, too.
Playing the four all year didn’t do him an abundance of good, but it did showcase just how special of a lateral athlete he is. Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson trusted the young big in that area so much that he had him be the primary defender on No.1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa in their match vs BYU.
Those supreme athletic tools made him a force everywhere in his first action in Celtic green.
Chris Cenac Jr.’s Summer League performance wasn’t a finished product, but it provided a compelling glimpse into the player he could become. The inconsistencies are reminders that his development will require patience. However, the flashes were undeniable.
At 6-foot-11, Cenac possesses a rare combination of mobility, defensive instincts, rebounding ability, and offensive versatility that few players can match. The Celtics aren’t expecting him to arrive as a polished contributor immediately; they’re betting on the long-term upside of a player whose physical tools and flashes of skill suggest a much higher ceiling.
If Cenac continues refining the details of his game, particularly his shooting consistency, decision making, and defensive awareness he has the chance to develop into one of the more intriguing two-way big men from his draft class.
