Celtics Face Tricky Chris Cenac Reality originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Chris Cenac Jr. blocked four shots on Monday night.
He also had the worst plus-minus of any player in the Boston Celtics‘ starting lineup in their NBA Summer League loss to the Hawks, the first loss Boston has taken this summer.
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Cenac hurt his own cause with five turnovers, offsetting those blocks and then some.
The rookie out of Houston did have 13 points, five rebounds and two assists, but it was a mixed bag, just as his overall Summer League has been so far.
And really, this is what the Celtics should’ve expected all along with Cenac.
When he arrived at Houston, he had the potential to be a top-10 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
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Instead, he ended up going 27th, and that’s because he wasn’t called upon to do much for the Cougars — and when he did, his youth and inefficiency showed up a bit too often.
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Cenac is clearly a talented player. He can make offensive plays all over the floor, and his length and athleticism are impactful defensively.
It’s also super early, so this isn’t the time to make judgments on him.
Instead, it’s simply the time to pump the brakes a bit.
The Celtics have a veteran, experienced team that will plan on competing for a championship in 2026-27.
Yes, it’d be great if Cenac blossomed enough to be a part of that pursuit.
But there’s a reason this high-ranking recruit was drafted much lower than hoped. He hasn’t fully put his game together yet.
His potential and upside are still quite high, although maybe his odds of getting there are a bit lower.
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But whatever the odds, Cenac isn’t there yet.
It’s good that the Celtics can let him ride the wave at Summer League in hopes of improving day in and day out.
Cenac still has plenty of work to do, and that’s OK. He’s not supposed to be a finished product yet.
