Brad Wanamaker is making the most of his second chance with Celtics

There are only seven players in NBA history that are a part of the 50/40/90 club over a full regular season. Currently, just three players during the 2019-20 season are shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the free-throw line (min: 300 minutes played). One is an All-Star (Devin Booker), another is an undrafted rookie in Toronto (Terence Davis), and the final name? Celtics’ reserve guard Brad Wanamaker (50/41/91).

Opportunity has knocked for the 30-year-old guard in the past month, particularly once Gordon Hayward went down with a broken hand on Nov. 9 against the Spurs. Wanamaker has surprised almost everyone with his production since then, standing out as one of the best sixth men in the league during November, averaging 10.5 points and 3.5 assists while playing just over 21 minutes per game.

That type of production has felt gratifying for the second-year Celtic who spent most of his rookie season playing garbage time minutes or watching from the bench with Terry Rozier, Kyrie Irving, and Marcus Smart all playing ahead of him.

“This is definitely a dope feeling,” Wanamaker told BSJ of his strong start. “Something you work your whole life for, the opportunity to play and find yourself in the rotation on an NBA team. So far, it's been an unbelievable surreal feeling. It's still just going out there and cherishing each moment and just try to be better every game.”

The chance to do this in Boston during the 2019-20 season was never a sure thing for Wanamaker however based on how disappointing last year was from an individual and team perspective. After turning down millions overseas to play in the NBA, Wanamaker saw action in just 36 games last year. The crafty guard does not have a ton of time left in his basketball prime and he certainly did not want to spend more of it on the bench while remaining a Celtic. However, even as other NBA and European teams called, Wanamaker turned down their overtures, believing he had some unfinished business to take care of in Boston.

“It was a tough decision process but last season left a bad taste in my mouth,” Wanamaker explained. “It was something I didn't want to live with forever, thinking back on my basketball career — that one year with the Celtics, wishing I could do it again. This year, I came in, when the opportunity presented itself, I said, 'Why not take a second chance?' Not too many opportunities in life you get a second chance.

“When that whole process went through, there were other teams interested, both here and overseas. The way that the roster played out and I saw a few guys leave so I thought there were some minutes there which I could earn. So far, that's been the case this year. It's still a long season so I still have to go out there and produce.”

Even as the C’s have struggled as a team lately without Hayward, Wanamaker has been one consistent piece that Brad Stevens has been able to rely on in his ever-changing bench rotation. He has scored 10 or more points in eight of the last 11 games, providing a steadying presence within that group.

“He’s (been) huge,” Stevens told reporters last month. “I mean, one of the more important things on our team, because you know what you’re getting every day. And he’s been really good. You can play with him with the ball, he can play off of it. He can guard bigger guys because he’s strong, and he’s very smart. So he makes the other players around him better when he’s in the game.”

The guard’s been able to handle playmaking responsibilities well (he ranks second on the team in assist rate) but his individual production is what has caught everyone’s eye. He leads the team (among healthy players) in 3-point shooting percentage (41.7 percent), ranks 10th in the NBA in free-throw shooting percentage (91 percent) and is third on the team behind Enes Kanter and Kemba Walker in free throws attempted (4.9) per 36 minutes.

The main difference in Wanamaker’s improved production this year? A healthy dose of minutes has given him both confidence and comfort.

“From the outside looking in, most people expect you not to play five or six games and you come and you're supposed to have the best game ever,” he explained. “It's tough because it's all about finding your comfort level out there. You are familiar with some players but obviously, practicing and games are different. It's different reads, different defensive schemes.  The more games, the more rhythm you get, the better you feel out there and then it's like second nature. You've been doing it your whole life and once you go out there playing multiple games and long stretches of games, you get comfortable and familiar. It's like riding a bike all over again.”

As his fellow bench mates have struggled with their shooting (Carsen Edwards, Grant Williams) or defense (Enes Kanter, Rob Williams), Wanamaker has been the glue holding everything together most nights. If anything, the team may need to push him to be more aggressive since he’s still averaging under five field goal attempts per game. He’s still walking the line nicely between setting up himself for good looks and setting up his teammates and it’s helped lead to good things for the C’s on the court. His +7.2 net rating since Hayward went down is four points higher than the team’s collective average during that stretch.

Wanamaker’s experience overseas (several years in Europe) has also turned him into a bit of a mentor for a team full of rookies. However, the team dynamic has shifted this season after a healthy turnover on the roster, with Wanamaker being one of the seven holdovers.

“It really doesn't feel like I'm the oldest guy on the team. With this team this year, everyone has a voice,” he admitted. “It's not like, you are the oldest guy on the team and your voice matters more than a rookie. Everybody on this team has a voice and everyone is talking.”

That shift has helped Wanamaker and several other players on this roster find their footing to help lead the C’s to a 14-5 start out of the gate. Given his league minimum salary, Wanamaker has proved to be one of the biggest bargains in the NBA over the first month and a half. While the 50/40/90 line is sure to fade away with more usage, the C’s can clearly feel confident now more than ever that the point guard spot on this roster is in good hands, even when Walker is off the floor.