When the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft began, the Boston Celtics already had a name in mind: St. John's forward Dillon Mitchell.
Mike Zarren effectively said as much during his post-draft press conference via Zoom on Wednesday night. (The full press conference can be viewed below on CLNS' YouTube channel.)
"We actually were thinking about moving up to get Dillon," Zarren told reporters. "And it sort of became clear over time that we thought he’d get to us, so we didn’t have to do that."
Mitchell ended up sliding down to the Celtics at pick No. 40. An athletic freak, Mitchell was one of the best perimeter defenders in college basketball last season.
That's not an opinion exclusive to here, either. That was a blanket statement from Zarren.
He and the Celtics have been following Mitchell for years. From his two seasons at Texas to his one at Cincinnati to finishing his collegiate career with the Red Storm last year.
“We’ve been watching Dillon for a long time," Zarren said. "I first saw him-- There was a game, Gonzaga was at Texas, and I went to that game to scout him and some other people in that game. And also to meet a young grad assistant who was working for Texas at that time, named Parker Sexton, who is now on our scouting staff. And instantly, Dillon’s leaping ability almost quite literally jumped off the court. And he had a great game. He was really raw back then. But his athleticism stood out. It took him a few years to sort of grow from there.
"We followed him another year at Texas, and then at Cincinnati, and then this past year at St. John’s. I think, I don’t know if you guys know the coach there, but he can really coach. And I think Dillon sort of found more purpose there. He became one of the best perimeter defenders in college basketball. He’s long. He can move. And then the other thing we noticed this year that really improved was his passing skills on offense. He’s still a prospect; he’s got some work to do, but, man, his athleticism and leaping abilities are really, really impressive, in addition to his defensive instincts. So, he’s got a hell of a future ahead of him.”
Mitchell is an elite defender, an unbelievable athlete, and a new-and-improved playmaker. So, why was he merely a second-round pick?
Well, right now, he's a non-shooter. He shot just 1-of-15 from beyond the arc last year.
But when asked if Mitchell will have to make an impact without a 3-point shot or develop one, he chose both options.
“So, both of those things, actually. It’s not an or," Zarren said. "He can be successful even when he’s not shooting the ball, but he’ll get better at his shot. We don’t have any doubt about that. If you watch enough, you’ll see he’s got the ability to get better there. So, like any young player, there's things to work on. That’s one for him. But we’re really excited about Dillon.”
We don't have any doubt about that.
That's quite the statement to make about a guy who was as bad a 3-point shooter as Mitchell was in college. It's not only a testament to the Celtics' belief in Mitchell, but a vote of confidence in their elite player development team.
Mitchell and Chris Cenac make up Boston's 2026 NBA Draft class. Cenac drew some online comparisons to former Boston big man