Celtics exec Mike Zarren confident in Dillon Mitchell despite shooting woes: He'll get better

The Boston Celtics pride themselves on player development. They flexed their muscles in that department last season, as previously inexperienced guys like Neemias Queta, Baylor Scheierman, and other players had career years. With this in mind, it’s not a surprise that Celtics Vice President of Basketball Operations Mike Zarren is confident that Boston’s latest draft pick will amend one of the biggest weaknesses in his game over time.

On Wednesday night, the Celtics selected forward Dillon Mitchell at No. 40 in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft. The athletic 22-year-old is a prolific dunker and can get to the rim with ease. However, he shoots under 50 percent from the free throw line and shot an abysmal 19 percent from deep over the course of his four years playing college ball.

This isn’t unheard of for a player of Mitchell’s size, but it’s still a red flag in today’s NBA — especially for Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla who loves a fair amount of 3-pointers. When asked about Mitchell’s shooting woes on Wednesday night during a Zoom press conference, Zarren assured that the second-rounder will improve.

“He can be successful even when he’s not shooting the ball, but he’ll get better at his shot,” he stated just before midnight. “We don’t have any doubt about that. If you watch enough, you’ll see he’s got the ability to get better there. So, like any young player, there are things to work on. That’s one for him, but we’re really excited.”

In his senior year at St. John’s, Mitchell averaged 8.3 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in about 28 minutes per game. More than 80 percent of his points came from inside the paint, so the Celtics will try to work on his shot diet while making the most of his athleticism.

“He’s still a prospect, he’s got some work to do, but, man, his athleticism and leaping abilities are really, really impressive, in addition to his defensive instincts,” Zarren praised.

Brad Stevens once talked about attacking the rim. Over 80% of Dillon Mitchell’s points came from inside the paint and he’s quite the dunker.

— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) June 25, 2026

The Celtics liked Mitchell so much that they even considered trading up to draft him. But, Zarren and company then realized he’d fall to them.

“There’s a lot of good players in this year’s draft, most years’ drafts, but particularly this year’s draft,” Zarren said. “So there was certainly maneuvering going around like there is most years, but we were reasonably focused on Dillon, and it was exciting that he was there for us at 40.”

Mitchell joins 19-year-old big man Chris Cenac Jr. in the Celtics’ 2026 draft class. Both players seem closer to projects than immediate NBA contributors, yet their roles for the upcoming season may change based on how active the C’s are this offseason on the trade market and in free agency.

Listen to “Havlicek Stole the Pod” on:

Blue Wire: https://tiny.ee/CdKp 

iTunes: https://tiny.ee/RK47 

YouTube: https://tiny.ee/cOW3

This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Boston Celtics exec Mike Zarren knows Dillon Mitchell will improve his shot