Ranking Celtics' offseason additions by their potential impact next year

The Boston Celtics orchestrated perhaps the most shocking move of the offseason when they traded Jaylen Brown to the Sixers. Since that deal over a month ago, there has been a lot of negative chatter about why the team will regret it, to the point where it's overshadowed the impact the players the front office brought in this summer could have.

So, rather than talk about why the Celtics doomed themselves by trading Brown, let's take a positive spin and look at the newest additions and what their impact could look like this season. These are not the players Boston re-signed this offseason, but rather the new faces they brought in, including those in the draft, starting with Dillon Mitchell.

Dillon Mitchell can be someone someday

Dillon Mitchell is officially on a two-way deal with Boston after there was some speculation that he would return to St. John's, allowing him to spend the upcoming season developing within the organization, which is good news for him and the Celtics.

The 22-year-old forward, who was the No. 40 pick in the draft, had a solid showing at summer league, averaging 13 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 steals, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks across the three games he played in, shooting 47.2% from the field and 37.5%. Though it was a small sample size, it was encouraging, particularly his shooting, his biggest question mark.

The value he provides on the defensive end was enough to justify Boston selecting him in the second round. If he can develop a shot, look out. Fans won't see much of Mitchell this upcoming season, but the progress he (hopefully) makes is worth monitoring in Maine.

There is a lot to look forward to with Chris Cenac Jr.

Standing at six-foot-eleven with a seven-foot-five wingspan, Cenac is entering his rookie season after the Celtics drafted him with the No. 27 overall pick.

He already generated a lot of hype around the fan base for his play in Las Vegas, and rightfully so. He's athletic and can move incredibly well for his size. Speaking of, he averaged 2.8 blocks per game in Vegas, which earned him the title of the most blocks a Boston player has averaged at summer league, as the Celtics' own Taylor Snow pointed out.

Cenac probably won't be a rotation player for the Celtics this season, but Boston thought the 19-year-old was worth betting on. He's with the right organization to continue developing and should be ready to carve out a real role for himself within the next couple of years, which is why he's not higher on this list as it pertains to the upcoming season.

Patience is the name of the game here.

Mike Conley can still be productive

Boston signed Conley to a one-year, veteran's minimum contract in free agency. He's coming off a season in Minnesota in which he averaged 18.4 minutes across 54 games (15 starts), and his minutes will likely be lower with the Celtics. They'll have to be cautious with how they use the 38-year-old, who will turn 39 before the start of the regular season.

Conley can still act as a solid backup point guard option for Boston. He can help orchestrate the offense, his specialty, but he has fallen off as a scorer the past couple of years. He averaged 4.5 points on 33.5% shooting from the field and 33.7% from three this past season.

Although he is capable of giving the Celtics productive minutes, at least in shorter stints, most of his value could come in the locker room. You can't ask for a better veteran leader than Conley.

Paul George can be better for the Celtics than many think

George is under high expectations in Boston because of what (more like who) the team gave up to get him. Considering he's been in the league since 2013, he should be well-accustomed to that level of pressure by now, and that's a good thing, since it won't magically disappear. It will probably just amp up.

At 36 years old, George isn't the downhill scorer he once was, but as he showed last season in Philadelphia, he's still a good three-point shooter. He shot 39.2% from three on 6.9 attempts per game (and 55% in the first round of the playoffs against the Celtics). For reference, Brown shot 34.7% from deep on 5.7 attempts this past year.

Going back to the Celtics-Sixers postseason matchup (sorry), George is still very much capable of being a positive on the defensive end. Just ask Jayson Tatum, and even Brown, not that you needed to, after watching yourself.

Like the next player on this list, George's biggest question revolves around his health. He played a combined 78 games over the past two seasons for the Sixers. If he can climb back up to the 60-game range and pick up where he left off last year, Boston's decision behind the trade might start to make a lot more sense.

Signing Mitchell Robinson was the Celtics' best move

Are you actually surprised that Robinson is No. 1 on the list? If you are, you shouldn't be. He's a player that the Celtics and Joe Mazzulla have admired from afar for the past few years, and after the Knicks' willingness to lose the center, Boston jumped on that opportunity, signing him to a three-year, $47.1 million deal.

He's the best offensive rebounder in the league and an elite rim-protector. He can guard the perimeter, too. The value that he alone gives the Celtics is immeasurable, as long as he can stay healthy, of course. You can trust Boston not to push him past his limits, and, as New York did, manage his minutes, which can be done even with Robinson in the starting lineup.

And hey, maybe Robinson will become a better free-throw shooter in Boston, as he's coming off a season where he shot a career-low 40.8% from the charity stripe. He's gotten progressively worse in that area. As a rookie in 2018-19, he shot 60% on an average of two attempts per game, so there is hope. An improvement would deter teams from using the Hack-A-Mitch strategy, which the Celtics know well.

Robinson is a proven winner, so he will fit in well in Boston, as long as the Celtics allow him to play his country music at the facilities.

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