Boston Celtics
“He became one of the best perimeter defenders in college basketball,” Celtics VP of basketball operations Mike Zarren said.
Dillon Mitchell AP Photo/Nick Wass
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The Celtics added one of the Big East’s best defenders Wednesday night when they selected St. Johns forward Dillon Mitchell with the No. 40 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Mitchell was a celebrated recruit in high school because of his size, length, athleticism, and defensive instincts. The 6-foot-8, 210-pound lefty small forward initially drew comparisons to Kelly Oubre and was expected to be a “one-and-done” caliber of player at the college level.
However, Mitchell ended up playing for three different college programs before landing with former Celtics coach Rick Pitino at St. John’s.
Mitchell is not much of an outside shooting threat, but his physical attributes have kept him on the Celtics’ radar for years.
On Wednesday night, Mitchell got the call from Brad Stevens and Isaiah Thomas that Boston had drafted him.
Here are four things to know about the Celtics’ newest draft pick.
He was a consensus top-10 recruit and Jordan Brand Classic MVP.
ESPN ranked Mitchell fourth nationally among college basketball recruits in the 2022 class, ahead of future pros Brandon Miller, Kel’el Ware, and Gradey Dick.
Celtics forward Jordan Walsh was also in that class, ranking No. 11. Like Walsh, Mitchell’s calling card is his defense.
The Celtics took both Mitchell and Walsh in the second-round of their respective drafts. Mitchell is taller and scouts rave about his athleticism, but he has a ton of work to do on offense in order to earn consistent minutes at the NBA level.
Walsh is an example of how hard work can yield results as far as improving a jumpshot – he entered the league as a 22-percent 3-point shooter. He shot the ball at a 38 percent clip from beyond the arc this season. It will be interesting to see how Mitchell fares in the Celtics’ development program.
Mitchell played in the McDonald’s All-American Game and was named MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic after scoring 18 points. However, he’s a career 48.9 percent free-throw shooter and scoring will likely be a struggle in the NBA until his shooting ability improves.
He’s a rugged, versatile, athletic defender.
Mitchell made the Big East All-Defensive team.
He is versatile enough to guard most positions on the floor, and has shown a willingness to play with physicality when guarding bigger defenders.
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie described Mitchell as an “awesome” athlete, highlighting Mitchell’s quick feet, leaping ability, and adeptness at hounding quick guards on the defensive end.
“There are some roster situations where he won’t work,” Vecenie wrote. “But there are some situational spots where he might find a role. The defense is that valuable, and he moves the ball incredibly well.”
Outside shooting is a weakness.
Don’t expect Mitchell to start bombing away from 3-point range right away.
He has never averaged more than one 3-point shot per game during his college career. He shot 6.7 percent from 3-point range at St. John’s last season. He is on the floor to wreak havoc on defense.
However, this season showed that he can impact a game without needing the ball in his hands too often. He averaged seven rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. His leaping ability allows him to finish efficiently around the rim – he’s a career 59 percent shooter from the field, though he averaged fewer than six shot attempts per game.
His game is about energy, defense, and making a few timely buckets when he gets an open look close to the rim.
He found basketball ‘purpose’ playing for Rick Pitino.
Mitchell began his college career at Texas, where he spent two seasons. He transferred to Cincinnati and spent a year there before finishing his college career playing for Pitino at St. John’s.
Mitchell helped St. John’s reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999 where they lost to Duke.
Celtics vice president of basketball operations Mike Zarren said the Celtics had been tracking Mitchell for a while and were considering trading up for him, but ultimately ended up landing him at No. 40.
“Dylan’s leaping ability almost quite literally jumped off the court,” Zarren said. “He had a great game. He was really quite raw back then, but his athleticism stood out.”
“It took him a few years to sort of grow from there,” Zarren added. “We followed him another year at Texas and at Cincinnati and then this past year at St. John’s – I don’t know if you guys know the coach there but he can really coach and I think Dillon sort of found more purpose there. He became one of the best perimeter defenders in college basketball.”
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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