Celtics Youth Movement at NBA Summer League: Cenac, Mitchell, Gonzalez Off to Strong Start

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The Celtics have started the 2026 NBA Summer League with two straight wins, and their recent draft picks have been showcasing impressive maturity on both ends of the court. If these early matchups are any indication, the Celtics' future remains incredibly bright.

Whether it's the two selections from the 2026 NBA Draft in Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell or a second-year player in Hugo Gonzalez, Bostonians have been enjoying the youth movement in Las Vegas.

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Celtics off to strong start at 2026 NBA Summer League​

The Celtics secured an 83-80 overtime victory over the Raptors in their Summer League opener before defeating the Hornets, 87-75, on Sunday night. While the games have not been pretty from an offensive standpoint, Celtics fans are seeing important developmental steps that could pay off down the road.

This was evident in the fourth quarter against a Hornets team that had a significant advantage in terms of NBA experience. Still, Boston looked like the better squad down the stretch.

The most impressive thing to me about yesterday's win is that Charlotte had four players in its starting lineup who boasted a combined 279 NBA games.

In terms of experience and development time, they had a huge advantage.

The Celtics still found ways to take care of business

— Adam Taylor (@AdamTaylorNBA) July 13, 2026

Second-round pick Dillon Mitchell had 24 points, eight rebounds and six steals against Charlotte. First-round pick Chris Cenac Jr. had a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double and blocked four shots against Toronto. Gonzalez flirted with a triple-double against the Raptors (17 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists), though he has struggled to score efficiently.

Players on two-way contracts have also gotten the most out of their minutes. John Tonje scored 20 points in the opener and 17 points against the Hornets, and Amari Williams posted a 23-point, 13-rebound double-double against the Raptors.

What should truly encourage Celtics fans isn't the 2-0 record itself, but how those wins are being earned. For a championship-caliber team like Boston, the goal is to identify reliable players who can contribute off the bench in Joe Mazzulla's system.

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