Mitchell Robinson's value to Celtics goes way beyond elite offensive rebounding

All the talk around this upcoming Celtics season is how the team is fully leaning into Mazzulla-Ball and their possession-maxing identity. A huge part of that was stealing Mitchell Robinson away from the Knicks. Mitch is an elite rebounder, especially on the offensive end, and he’s going to create a lot of extra possessions for Boston.

He’s also an elite screen-setter, and unleashing him in this offense where he can just use his size to free up ballhandlers or shooters, roll hard to the rim, and dominate the glass is going to be a real weapon.

As much as I’m looking forward to seeing what Mitch can do on offense, though, this signing is going to be just as crucial on the defensive end. A lot of people look at Robinson and see a giant rim protector, but really, he’s much more.

In fact, last season, Mitch finished third among all centers in the NBA in defensive playmaking, a metric that measures steals, blocks, deflections, and offensive fouls drawn per 75 possessions. Robinson put up 5.7 per 75 last season, which trailed only Paul Reed and Victor Wembanyama among centers.

Robinson is much more versatile and athletic than he gets credit for, and for a guy his size. He can switch and jump out on the perimeter when needed; his footwork and speed are very underrated, and he has great hands and instincts. As well as he’ll fit on offense, he’s going to fit in just as well on the defensive end.

Robinson can push the Celtics' defense from very good to elite

He’s going to be surrounded by other strong defenders like Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, and the slew of young chaos-creators on the wing. Robinson will be able to roam a bit and use his playmaking skills on the defensive end to take away possessions from opposing teams. Add that to his strong rebounding, and it’s not hard to see how he’s going to generate extra possessions for Boston with his work on both ends of the floor.

In New York, Robinson was coming in for a borderline defensive liability in Karl-Anthony Towns and constantly had to cover up for Jalen Brunson, who always had a target on his back on defense due to his size. In Boston, that’s not going to be the case. Robinson will split time at center with an equally skilled defensive big man in Neemias Queta, and the Celtics don’t have many obvious weaknesses on the perimeter.

If this team sticks to the scheme and follows their principles, they are going to give teams a lot of trouble on both ends of the floor. The more I dig into the numbers and tape, the clearer it is that Mitch is going to be a huge part of that, and it’s obvious why Brad Stevens and the Celtics so highly coveted him.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow