Coach Joe Mazzulla explained why Mitchell Robinson appeared lost on the court. The Celtics coach does not blame the injury scare from Monday night against the Houston Rockets. He blames the new job description. Boston is asking their big man to set screens and play from the perimeter instead of camping near the basket. The shift has reduced his rebounding and block numbers.
Robinson is averaging a career-low 4.5 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game so far this season. His scoring is up, but the defense is taking a hit. According to NESN, the Celtics get outscored by 16.0 points per 100 possessions when Robinson plays. When he sits, they outscore opponents by 19.1 points. That is a massive swing in a very small sample size.
The System Is The Problem
Mazzulla laid it out plain after Monday’s 109-93 loss. “We have him a little further away from the rim, setting screens and playmaking for us on the perimeter as part of our offense,” Mazzulla said. He added, “I think that has a little bit to do with it.” This is not a secret anymore. The team wants Robinson to be a facilitator, but his best skill is crashing the glass.
Robinson himself admitted he is stuck. When asked why he missed his usual impact on the offensive boards, he said, “I don’t know, bro, to be honest,” per NESN. He knows he needs to fix it fast. “I gotta figure it out soon,” Robinson said. The injury to his left thumb on an offensive rebound did not help, but it is not the main reason. “I think it just jammed or something like that. I’m straight.”
Starting Lineup Shuffle
The coaching staff is already testing new lineups. Neemias Queta started the last two games, including Sunday’s win over Orlando. Robinson sat out that game for rest, but he also came off the bench against Houston. This marks his first time not starting this season. The team went 4-1 in the first five games when Robinson started. Now they are trying to find the right mix.
Mazzulla says he values depth and variety more than a fixed starting five. “Just taking advantage of our depth, taking advantage of our variety,” Mazzulla said. He noted that Robinson started the second half in a double-big look. “I put just as much weight into every single lineup as that one,” he added. The experiment continues, but the stats show a clear problem.
Across six games totaling 116 minutes, Robinson has gathered only 11 offensive rebounds. That is not enough for a center in Boston. The advanced numbers from NBA.com show a team that struggles when he is on the floor. The Celtics need their big man to be a beast on the glass, not a perimeter spacer. Until Robinson finds his rhythm, the team will keep tweaking the lineup. “Things that I do naturally, I should still be doing,” Robinson said. “I just haven’t found my rhythm yet.”
