It's too early in the season to draw any real conclusions. But that's also the business. Reactionary content. Sharing opinions. Delivering analysis.
The Boston Celtics have only played five games so far. They are 4-1 in those games. One of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. In the grand scheme of things, they are fine. More than fine, in fact.
But there have certainly been some concerning trends to begin the season. None is more pressing than Mitchell Robinson's play thus far.
Boston signed Robinson to a four-year, $47.4 million contract this summer. Fresh off a championship run with the New York Knicks, Robinson cashed in. And from the jump, the Celtics entrusted him with the starting center role.
Through the first five games of the season, Robinson hasn't looked like the version of himself that helped New York win a title last year. He's slow. Lagging up and down the court. Dropping passes in the pick-and-roll. The energy just isn't there. At least, not consistently.
Advanced numbers aren't the end-all, be-all. And a five-game sample size isn't nearly enough to draw any solid conclusions. But so far, those numbers do match the eye test.
With Robinson on the court (100 minutes), the Celtics have a net rating of -13.5. With him off the court (145 minutes), they have a net rating of +22.4. The raw plus/minus numbers look similar.
Databallr
Mitchell Robinson's on/off net rating
The Celtics have an average plus/minus of +9.2 per game this season. In total, through their five games, they are +46. Robinson? He's a -26 for the year. Boston has lost his minutes by 26 total points.
At the time of writing this, Robinson is questionable to play against the Orlando Magic on Sunday due to rest. Considering his current conditioning, that makes sense.
Robinson is supposed to be a major energy boost. An elite offensive rebounder who is a menace on the defensive end, capable of switching onto quicker players and battling in the post when he needs to.
That hasn't been his game this year. He's been out of place. It looks like he's still trying to get up to speed in the Celtics' system, and his energy levels are way down.
Then, there's Neemias Queta. The on/off numbers love him. He's been far more energetic than Robinson, flying around like a madman on the court. Boston is objectively better with him on the floor.
But there are certainly some less-than-ideal signs so far this year. His rebounding, in particular, has been disappointing at times. It just looks like he can't hold onto the basketball.
There were also a few tough finishes around the rim against the Chicago Bulls on Friday that looked like they could have gone down. Queta drew fouls on most of them, but finishing through contact should be a point of emphasis for him.
Fouling also seems to be a bit more of a problem for him this year. He was a smart, foul-avoidant defender in the regular season last year, though the playoffs (and Joel Embiid) were a different beast. This year, it hasn't been as bad as the postseason, but also not as good as last regular season.
Overall, Queta's play has been