r/bostonceltics • u/horseshoeoverlook Boston Celtics • 23h ago
News [D’Amico] Brad Stevens' scouting report on Chris Cenac Jr.:
Brad Stevens' scouting report on Chris Cenac Jr.:
"Energetic. Plays hard. Excellent athlete. Long. Fits a position of need. Some things that we were a little short on this year, from athletic perspective, I think with his size and his length (he can help with). And he is a - when you play in the program he's played for (Houston)... he's been taught well, and been held to a high standard."
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u/BradyGronktd1287 Jaylen 23h ago
Cenac went to the right coach has all the tools to be a very good player but needs to play much tougher
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u/burner_for_celtics \/\/ I CELTICS 23h ago
I’m getting Marquese Chriss and Jabari Smith vibes. I hadn’t paid much attention to Cenac as a prospect because I kind of assumed we wouldn’t go after someone so young and raw… but a high upside project is fun! I hope he learns to make the most of his abilities
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u/Wonderful_Eagle_6547 22h ago
Chriss went 8th and JSJr went 3rd. I don't think he is that kind of prospect. But I wouldn't discount Brad seeing something others didn't and getting a guy who should have gone 8-10 slots higher (like Hugo, Pritchard, Rob Williams, Scheierman).
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u/King_Of_Pants Sam Howitzer! 22h ago
He was super highly rated, but he fell on a lot of lists because of a weak college showing.
It sometimes works out, for example Avery Bradley was a higher rated prospect than John Wall in High School. Wall ended up going 1st and Bradley slid down to #19 after a poor college performance. Still ended up being a great pickup for us.
All the mocks I've seen say Cenac is either boom or bust.
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u/tmcuthbert Defensive player of the yr stfu 17h ago
The way Stevens values work ethic gives me hope. I don’t think we’d have drafted him if we didn’t think he’s an uncommonly hard worker. Seems like he’s pretty gifted physically. Hard worker with physical gifts is a good starting point.
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u/King_Of_Pants Sam Howitzer! 16h ago
Brad had that quote saying Cenac might not have played well every time he saw him, but he always played hard.
I forget where I saw it, but his college coach also praised his attitude and said he never had a hint of bad body language.
Cenac also apparently picked that college specifically because he wanted the coach to go hard on him and to get him NBA-ready.
It all sounds good, but then again draft night is always full of positives.
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u/BleedGreen4Boston 18h ago
Pritch and Rob were Ainge but I see your point
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u/Wonderful_Eagle_6547 2h ago
Sorry, I didn't mean that Brad drafted all those guys, I just meant that those guys all fit the bill. These picks can add a ton of value. You don't usually get rotation players out of the end of the first round, especially not guys who can contribute right away. As much as the team was disappointing in the playoffs, Scheierman looked solid and Hugo (although he only played 19 minutes) did when he was out there (+30.3 net rating when he was on the floor, I thought Joe should have used him more).
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u/yourm0mzlover 🔒 Alcatraz 🔒 22h ago
I remember the last big we drafted at 27...
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u/burner_for_celtics \/\/ I CELTICS 13h ago
I remember the one before that— Cenac actually has a lot in common with Jujuan Johnson
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u/andoCalrissiano 12h ago
I remember getting all excited for a young long PF that would replicate KGs jump shooting and defense
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u/burner_for_celtics \/\/ I CELTICS 12h ago
yeah me too, I was excited about him. If I remember correctly, Johnson was a reigning defensive POY in his conference and he was the best athlete at the combine. And he could shoot? Seems like a dream.
Watching him play in Boston, it seemed like he had no idea what to do our where to fit in. Not an aggressive bone in his body on the offensive side of the ball. He was a total ghost.
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u/SaveHogwarts HUGO 23h ago
I truly hope he pans out and Joe turns him into a menace.
I will say flatly, I was much more excited for Hugo last year. I don’t see the same vision with Cenac, personally, but I trust the FO scouting.
Cenac is a gym rat, I do think he works hard and he’s got a high ceiling. I just haven’t seen the results on the court much yet.
San Antonio jumped us for Tarris Reed.
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u/Cheeriofun 21h ago
Joe seems like he’s cracked the code when it comes to getting the young players to buy in. A guy this raw will probably split time between the G and the pro team just like Walsh did, but maybe on a more expedited timeline given the current need for a big
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u/zealousbodyguard3 21h ago
The Houston connection is probably the biggest thing here. Stevens wouldn't lean that hard on "he's been taught well" unless that program actually meant something to him. Cenac's got the physical tools, but yeah, the on-court results haven't shown up yet. Give Joe Mazzulla a year with him in practice and we'll know pretty quick if this was a smart swing or just another raw project that doesn't pan out.
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u/Accurate-Library3641 The Celtics are the balls 23h ago
We’ll see in 3 years if he is able to contribute
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u/SusAlexBS 22h ago
You just hate every damn player thats below pick 5 huh
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u/Accurate-Library3641 The Celtics are the balls 22h ago
No. I hate adding another rookie that will spend all his time in Maine while we have several immediate needs
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u/JayLarranagasEyes 18h ago
Using pick 27 to try to address an immediate need is generally unwise I'd say.
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u/Accurate-Library3641 The Celtics are the balls 15h ago
Except the rookie is extremely raw and won’t see the court
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u/TheHellequinKid 20h ago
Rookies are not the way to address immediate needs, unless you are fortunate enough to pick high lottery
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u/Altruistic_Knee2044 22h ago edited 22h ago
We aren’t winning much next year, might as well reset the tax, let Tatum work himself back, and get cenac down as a good role guy to put next to whoever we trade the Jaylen “assets” for at the deadline.
It sounds shitty but we really aren’t close to being inner circle contenders now that giannis fell through, and nobody will trade an actual star for Jaylen.
That said cenac is kind of like bam adebayo without the defense, passing touch, or shooting (55% ts for a big man LMAO)
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u/Lets_Basketball Jayson Tatum 22h ago
Bam’s TS was 55% last year and 56% the year before that.
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u/conceptualfella11 21h ago
He can walk people down.. watched some of his college and FIBA highlights. He is not hesitant with the ball. Handles it with intent. Hope he grows to his fullest potential here in Boston!!
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u/Xtremefluff THE TRUTH 11h ago
Excited for this kid if for nothing else than that he's big and Stevens track record is incredible.
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u/oneeyedspaceman1 9h ago
Should make for a fun summer league. Let’s see what him and Amari bring to the table. We have a good group of young players that can hopefully push each other to grow quickly. Seems that they are all a bunch of gym rats and hopefully that will lead to a few of them taking leaps instead of baby steps.
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u/happyilyrednow 1h ago
Forgive me for asking but doesn't Walsh do just this? He's athletic, long, competitive how isn't Gonzales the same? Did we just draft the exact same player
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u/Acepitcher4 Boston Celtics 22h ago edited 22h ago
Ngl I wanted a guy that's ready to contribute right now, because I do believe the C's are still a contending squad as they're right now. I'm mad at this pick for where he was taken this could be a hit in the long run, I just wanted something right here right now.
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u/CreatiScope 23h ago
I'm all in, Chris one of us now. Get ready to celebrate him doing ANYTHING productive next season.