LAS VEGAS -- Opportunity will be plentiful across the Celtics roster during training camp following the departures of four rotation pieces.
Veterans like Enes Kanter and Kemba Walker will pick up some of the slack for holes in the starting five, but there is still a lot left up for grabs when it comes to the second unit. After a clear cut sixth man (Marcus Smart or Gordon Hayward), the full bench rotation for the Celtics will likely be determined during a very competitive training camp. After a strong start to summer league, it appears several of the C's rookies will factor into that conversation according to Brad Stevens.
The head coach spoke highly of all of the team's picks so far but singled out Carsen Edwards and Grant Williams as two players that could help right away.
"Carsen has a chance to impact our team early because he obviously can make tough shots, he’s done a great job of picking the right ones, and he’s done a great job of picking up full and pressuring the ball," Stevens explained. "At Purdue, when he had as much usage as he did, he couldn’t be asked to do that and we knew that coming in. And then Grant’s been just who Grant is. That’s a steady guy who impacts winning. He’s one of the few I think can change his game pretty dramatically and still impact winning. So and then Romeo obviously hasn’t played yet. The guys we’ve drafted have all made a good impact so far, but it’s a long way from being an Opening Day game in the NBA, I know that."
Tremont Waters, who agreed to a two-way deal with Boston on Tuesday, also stuck out to Stevens.
"Obviously all the things he does on the court — the only thing you could ever say about him is he’s too small," he said. "He’s super savvy. The game comes so easy to him on both ends. He gets his hands on every ball on defense, makes the right plays."
The key thing that stands out about all of the C's additions is their ability to play roles and that's something that the front office appears to be emphasizing as they construct this roster. There are several different distinct skillsets across the Boston roster that should work situationally and it appears Edwards (scorer/ball pressure on D) and Williams (defensive IQ/switchability as a big) fill a need on the depth chart. Stevens wants the focus to be simple for not just the rookies but more experienced young players on the roster that may feel additional pressure to carry a heavy load after so many veterans departed.
"We just need people to be the best version of themselves," Stevens declared. "Then, that stuff all takes care of itself. We have a lot of different players on this team capable of adding value in all those regards. We don't need Jayson or Jaylen to put that extra burden on themselves, we just need them to get better at what they do well. They've been good at working on it. They've both been in Boston quite a bit and they've both been working when they're not. They will be fine."
That type of mentality should go a long way towards the Celtics building a successful season in 2019. For now, it will be on Edwards to outplay Brad Wanamaker to get a chance for regular minutes off the bench. Williams looks almost certain to play at power forward off the bench regularly but could emerge as a closing option at the center spot if Stevens wants to emphasize switchability at the center spot. Both players still have a lot to learn when the degree of difficulty increases but there looks like a lot that's ready to carry over out of the gate.
"I think you’re excited about the things you can see that can translate to an NBA game, and there’s other things that won’t," Stevens said. "So I’m excited about what they bring to the table."