Sixers draft profile: Will Chris Cenac Jr. put it all together in the NBA? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
A scouting report on NBA draft prospect Chris Cenac Jr.:
- Position: Power forward/Center
- Height: 6-foot-10.25 (without shoes)
- Weight: 240 pounds
- College: Houston
Strengths
Cenac clearly possesses NBA size and athleticism. He has a 7-5 wingspan and performed well on the draft combine’s athletic testing, including a 37-inch maximum vertical leap.
In his lone college season, Cenac used those tools to consistently rebound at a good rate. He had 14 double-digit rebounding games. Over 37 outings, Cenac posted at least one offensive rebound on 33 occasions.
Cenac is a fluid mover for his size defensively and showed skills at Houston beyond the big man basics. At 19 years old, it’s doesn’t appear outlandish to think Cenac could get much better in the right developmental situation and provide considerable versatility on both ends of the floor in the NBA.
While Cenac didn’t have the production of many other first-round prospects, he was a helpful role player on a strong college team. He played 24.8 minutes per game for the 30-7 Cougars and averaged 9.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks. Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson admired his day-to-day approach.
“I love that kid,” Sampson told reporters in January. “I love him. He never has a bad day and I have worn him out. … He’s never, ever not looked me in the eye. He’s never had one ounce of bad body language. He’s never, ever been late. He’s always one of the first ones in, one of the last to leave.
“He is like a huge sponge. Wherever he’s playing in the NBA down the road, that team is going to be lucky to get him. He is an awesome, awesome young man.”
Weaknesses
Though Cenac flashed shooting ability in college from both three-point territory and the mid-range, he wasn’t particularly efficient.
He made 30 of 90 threes (33.3 percent) and 36 of 58 free throws (62.1 percent). As far as form, it’s noticeable that Cenac seems to lean back a bit during his shooting motion. The jumper is not currently a positive, dependable part of his game.
What position will suit Cenac as a professional? He doesn’t need to be exclusively a power forward or a center, but it’s worth asking whether his NBA team will be able to find a sweet spot in terms of positional usage.
Perhaps Cenac will put it all together in the NBA, but he comes across as a prospect still figuring out where he’s best and what he should focus on. It’s fine if he needs time to adapt to the NBA and hone specific skills like his jumper and his post defense, but there’s plenty of projection required for any team that believes in Cenac as a future starter.
Fit
The Sixers have drafted several second-round big men in recent years, including Johni Broome (35th overall pick in 2025) and Adem Bona (41st in 2024).
If new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey took Cenac at No. 22, we imagine he’d mainly be investing in the Sixers’ frontcourt future. Even if Joel Embiid’s health fortunes improve, he’s 32 years old and won’t play at an All-Star level forever.
