BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics’ new rookie class has arrived. And they were welcomed with a tour of the city… alongside lots of local youth as part of the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation’s ‘First Assist’ event.
Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell enjoyed a guided tour of the city, highlighting the history and culture, all with a splash of Celtics chronology to go alongside it.
“It was a lot of fun. That was very welcoming,” Cenac said at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center after the tour concluded. “Just being around the kids and the community. They’re pretty funny. They’re great people to be around. So, it was a lot of fun going around the city, touring the city with them.”
The history stood out to Mitchell, who got to experience Boston for the first time.
“I think just seeing all the murals that are around. All the different artwork,” Mitchell said. “Seeing the Martin Luther King artwork, and all these other artworks. So, just the history. Especially not having been here before, so just learning about all the history and the culture in Boston.”
But that wasn’t the only thing that surprised him. He also enjoyed the heat – it was around 85 degrees in Boston on Tuesday – though he reluctantly admitted he knows what’s coming.
“It’s amazing. Just never being out here before, coming out, exploring, touring around,” Mitchell said. “Good weather for right now. We’ll see. I’ve heard it’s going to change. But nah, it’s been fun just meeting everybody and being out here.”
Both rookies have enjoyed warm welcomes from the Celtics since being drafted.
Cenac spent one year at Houston after committing there as the No. 6 high school prospect in the country. Boston selected him with the No. 27 pick in the first round.
Mitchell was the No. 40 pick in Round 2. He was a four-year college player, wrapping things up with a single season at St. John’s last year.
As soon as he was selected, he immediately got a massive welcome.
“Jayson Tatum was the first one to reach out, just say congratulations,” Mitchell said. “Derrick White. Jordan Walsh, who I’ve known for a little bit, just from high school days. Same class. Yeah, and honestly, just getting here, meeting with everybody, getting to work.”
And head coach Joe Mazzulla is already in both of their ears.
“He’s already been giving me some tips coming in,” Cenac said. “So, just learning from him as a great coach and coming in and helping the team.”
“He talked about rebounding and defense,” Mitchell said. “Offensive rebounding, crashing the glass, defense. And that’s one of the main things we talked about. It’s his birthday, so I sent him a little text. That’s what we talked about. Just coming in, working, putting my head down, continue to do things that’s gotten me here to this point.”
Cenac is still just 19 years old. And there’s a reason he was touted so highly as a high school prospect.
Though he didn’t put up crazy numbers under Kelvin Sampson at Houston, he was an elite rebounder. He has the makings of a switchable defender. And the offensive game has promise.
Not only did he show flashes of a 3-point jump shot, but at times, he put the ball on the floor and found mid-range pull-ups and lanes to the basket.
But in the short-term, he knows he can lean on a few specific things as he looks to improve his all-around game.
“Coming in immediately, rebounding, defending, playing hard,” Cenac said. “And then, just working on my all-around game. Just getting better every single day. Just coming in with the right attitude.”
Mitchell was as close to a