Kelvin Sampson recently spoke with Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, and the conversation centered around Chris Cenac Jr. The Boston Celtics rookie spent his lone collegiate campaign growing in the hard-nosed program run by the Houston Cougars' head coach.
There, a five-star recruit, ranked No. 7 in his class, thrived under a venerable and demanding bench boss. It's a testament to a fire that never flames out.
As Houston's head coach looks ahead to what the future might hold for the 27th overall pick in this year's NBA Draft, he sees a three-point leap that's easy to envision (subscription required).
"Chris is going to be a 37-39 percent shooter," Sampson told Himmelsbach. He's got a great release, and the ball comes off his fingertips with a good rotation and a good arc, and he's a worker. He's not like a guard who has been shooting threes his whole life."
Why Celtics fans should believe Sampson's 3-pt projection
Cenac's mechanics from beyond the arc are simple and smooth. They're easy to repeat. He also has a soft touch from three-point range.
That combination was on full display as he buried the game-winning triple in his Summer League debut.
still not over this 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/I4m3qf5u24
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 11, 2026
His poise is also on display. At six-foot-11, with an overhead release, a defender contesting his shot doesn't faze him. Even in a league of athletic marvels, his attempts probably aren't getting blocked.
As Sampson noted, this isn't someone who has been shooting 3s his whole life. In his lone year with the Cougars, he launched 2.4 per game. His conversion rate was 33.3 percent. Now it's about scaling up.
Why Chris Cenac Jr. must make good on Sampson's prediction
At 19, he already has so many offensive capabilities. Yet it feels like that growth from beyond the arc needs to happen. He can and will bulk up, but his size and frame make him a tweener between the four and the five spots.
His athleticism and pterodactyl-like seven-foot-five wingspan make him a lob threat. But he doesn't project to be as dangerous in that department as seven-foot centers Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson.
The New Orleans native is an underrated facilitator. At Summer League, Cenac showcased functional handles and savviness as a cutter. But one's outlook on his NBA role on that side of the ball changes if he's not a reliable three-point threat.
From screening to making an impact on the offensive glass to the other skills mentioned, can he do everything else at a high enough level to overcome that? Possibly, but it's a much harder road to traverse.
The Celtics are the ideal team to help Cenac improve as a shooter
On draft night, Boston's first-round pick was disappointed to still be on the board at pick No. 27. However, that wait allowed him to start his NBA career within an elite player development infrastructure.
That includes helping roster members ranging from Derrick White to Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez improve as three-point threats. Second-round pick Dillon Mitchell is already seeing his shot benefit from working with the Celtics' staff.
Cenac arrives with a great foundation to ascend as a shooter. He's better than his collegiate conversion rate suggests. And he's in a program that can help him blossom into a trusted floor-spacer.
It's a crucial ability that will help tell the story of his career. Landing with the Celtics, Cenac couldn't have found a better co-author.
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