Chris Cenac Jr. was not a shot blocker in college. That is an understatement. Over 37 games at Houston, the big man recorded 18 blocks total. Across three Summer League games with the Celtics, he has nine. That is nearly half his college total in a fraction of the games.
The Celtics grabbed Cenac with the 27th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and so far it looks like they may have found a steal. Boston lost to Atlanta 102-90 on Monday in Vegas, but Cenac stuffed the stat sheet with four blocks. His activity around the rim has been the story of his summer.
So what changed? Part of it is assignment. At Houston, JoJo Tugler handled most of the rim protection. Cenac was not asked to camp in the paint and erase shots. He roamed more, guarded on the perimeter at times, and his block numbers never popped. Scouts noticed. Some teams passed. But the Celtics saw something else.
“That’s something that they’ve been preaching to me since I’ve gotten here that I need to do,” Cenac told reporters, via Justin Turpin of WEEI. “And I’m a player that’s going to do whatever it takes, do whatever the organization needs me to do, so that’s something I’m emphasizing in my game while I’m on the court.”
Why the Celtics liked him anyway
Cenac is 19 years old and already 6-foot-11 with a frame that can add more muscle. He also showed some range in college, knocking down mid-range jumpers and even stepping out to the three-point line occasionally. That versatility is rare for a player his size. The Celtics think they can mold him into a two-way center who blocks shots and stretches the floor.
Boston does not need him to be that guy right now. The roster has Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson holding down the center minutes. Cenac can develop without pressure. He can learn from two veterans who have both carved out careers as defensive bigs in the league. That is a luxury for a late-first-round pick.
Summer League is still Summer League. The level of competition is not the NBA. But the way Cenac is moving, reading rotations, and meeting guys at the rim suggests a player who was maybe just miscast in college. The Celtics bet on a skill set that had not fully arrived yet. It looks like it is arriving now.
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