LAS VEGAS -- A mix of takeaways and first impressions from the Thomas and Mack Center after the Celtics defeated the 76ers 96-82 in their summer league opener.
Carsen Edwards is not going to be shy about finding his offense in the NBA — and that’s a good thing: There are plenty of reasons why Edwards fell to No. 33 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, starting with his size at 6-foot-1. However, the Celtics had him far higher on their draft board and appear to have found a seasoned player whose scoring will translate at the NBA level in some form. Edwards looked like a polished pro during his team-high 20 points on Saturday night. He did most of his damage from 3-point range, knocking down 5-of-12 shots from beyond the arc while seeking out good looks. The Sixers threw all kinds of different defenders at him, but he handled it all well, creating his own shot off the dribble and picks on a number of occasions.
“I was trying to make the right decision,” Edwards said. “Try to make more space to where I’m more comfortable, really. First game and I’m still learning so much. These guys are on another level.”
Most of the Edwards’ reputation comes from his scoring, but head coach Scott Morrison made a point of singling out his fight on the defensive end afterward. Edwards piled up a team-high three steals and made a number of hustle plays that resulted in extra opportunities for Boston.
“His toughness, toughness, on-the-ball defender, toughness taking contact and scoring,” Morrison said. “We know he’s fearless from watching him play in college, but it’s hard to see the toughness on TV -- he’s getting into bodies and taking teams out of their offense. He’s taken us out of our offense all week in practice when he’s been on defense, and I thought he did a good job again tonight just really disrupting their flow and making it tough for them to move the ball where they wanted to.”
It’s just one game but Edwards is a guy who looks like he belongs as a scorer. He’s not a pure point (zero assists) but the Celtics look like they are going to get a burst of offensive firepower whenever he comes into a game. If he can hold his own on the defensive end as well, that’s going to make him an immediate upgrade to what Terry Rozier gave this team last year from a scoring standpoint. The battle for bench minutes between him and Brad Wanamaker should be fierce in training camp.
No. 33 overall #NBADraft pick @Cboogie_3 drops a game-high 20 PTS (5 3PM) to lead the @celtics victory in his #NBASummer debut! pic.twitter.com/WCVzMV7BFQ
— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) July 6, 2019
This is why you start GRANT over Yabu smh pic.twitter.com/v52Viz8MJq
— Trevor William Marks (@twmarks_) July 6, 2019
Pats might want to sign Grant Williams as a free safety pic.twitter.com/neebCfivi3
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) July 6, 2019
Grant Williams had a do-it-all #NBASummer debut, totaling 12 points, 6 boards, 2 dimes, 2 steals and 2 blocks. #Vols pic.twitter.com/OCDA5YSyyc
— Marc Whiteman (@MarcWhiteman) July 7, 2019
