The New York Knicks lost a member of their 2026 NBA Championship core when Mitchell Robinson signed with the Boston Celtics to open free agency. For fans, seeing the departure of the previously longest-tenured Knick was always going to be painful. Especially with Robinson wanting to stay in New York, though, it stung that much more to see him join a divisional rival.
Through two games of Summer League, it looks like the Celtics' success at New York's expense might not be limited to the rim-protecting big man. Through two games, rookie Dillon Mitchell has looked a lot like another example of Boston capitalizing on a missed connection for New York.
Mitchell, the #40 pick in the draft, is represented by Sam Rose — the son of Knicks President Leon Rose, and agent of Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby. The St. John's product had 24 points, eight rebounds, two assists, six steals, and two blocks against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. And it's hard not to wonder just how the Knicks stood idly by as he shipped up to Boston to start his NBA career.
It's just Summer League, but Celtics might have a steal in Mitchell
In Summer League, the medium is the message. The games are inherently designed to allow younger players to showcase and develop abilities that might not be seen at the NBA level for quite some time. For Mitchell, aspects of both the floor and ceiling of his game were on full display throughout the Celtics' first two games.
After debuting in Las Vegas with a four-point, two-turnover, zero-assist performance against the Toronto Raptors, Mitchell bounced all the way back for game two. His defensive effort was there the entire time, rendering his offensive breakout a complete, two-way performance. Seven of his eight rebounds were offensive, and he was efficient with the shots he took — making 10 of 20 over the course of the game.
Mitchell also made two of his five 3-point attempts, doing some early work to reverse narratives about his ability to stretch the floor. The forward made just 11 of his 57 shot attempts from downtown at the NCAA level. After the Summer League victory over Charlotte, the wing told reporters his success was the result of work he's already been putting in with the Celtics' coaching staff.
Boston has both the coaching staff, and the personnel, to mitigate the negative effects of players' weaknesses. It'll be interesting to see how they protect themselves from Robinson's lack of free throw shooting, or Mitchell's lack of 3-point accuracy. The Knicks will only be able to watch whatever success either one has in green — until any potential meetings in the regular or postseason.
Luckily for them, Jack Kayil and Tyler Nickel have both impressed in their stints thus far. They were perhaps the only bright spots in the team's 70-49 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. And Mitchell's success, if it continues, wouldn't hold either of them back.
Add us as a preferred source on Google