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Joe Mazzulla Reveals One Reason Behind Mitchell Robinson's Worrying Start With Celtics
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- Joe Mazzulla Reveals One Reason Behind Mitchell Robinson's Worrying Start With Celtics
Joe Mazzulla Reveals One Reason Behind Mitchell Robinson's Worrying Start With Celtics originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Mitchell Robinson hasn't exactly gotten off to the start the Boston Celtics envisioned.
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Joe Mazzulla believes Boston's offensive system might play a role in that.
"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 after Monday's loss to the Houston Rockets. "I think that has a little bit to do with it."
Robinson's scoring is actually up with the Celtics, but he's averaging career lows of 4.5 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game. He's struggled to make his presence felt on the offensive glass, which is his greatest strength. He has 11 offensive rebounds in 116 minutes across six games.
The advanced numbers paint an even more concerning picture.
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According to NBA.com , the Celtics are being outscored by an average of 16.0 points per 100 possessions with Robinson on the court. With him on the bench, they're outscoring their opponents by 19.1 points per 100 possessions.
Seven games is still a small sample size, but that's a monumental swing.
When asked why he's struggled to make his usual impact on the offensive glass, Robinson didn't have much of an answer.
"I don't know, bro, to be honest," Robinson said . "I gotta figure it out soon."
Robinson started at center in Boston's first five games of the season before missing Sunday's win over the Orlando Magic for rest. Monday's loss to the Rockets marked his first appearance off the bench this season.
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It'll be interesting to see if Mazzulla gives Robinson another chance with the starters or sticks with Neemias Queta moving forward.
