Boston Celtics: Carsen Edwards as good as advertised; inks 4-year deal

Boston Celtics second-round pick Carsen Edwards may be the steal of the 2019 NBA Draft and he is taking steps to proving it.

While it is hard to get too excited about any player’s performance in Summer League play, how can you not be excited about what Boston Celtics second-round pick Carsen Edwards has shown so far this summer.

Already predicted as one of the steals of the draft, Edwards has shown his ability to score points at will.  He has also shown toughness and an attitude on defense the team is already falling in love with.

In averaging 18 points in four games, including 48.3 percent on 3-point shooting, the rookie is giving Celtics fans something to look forward to in 2019.  He has also shown the team enough to score a guaranteed contract.

That’s right, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, the Boston Celtics and Carsen Edwards have agreed on a four-year contract that guarantees him $4.5 million.

As a player projected by Danny Ainge to contribute to the team right away, the 6-foot guard is the type of player who should flourish even more under Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens.  He has similar scoring ability to Isaiah Thomas, but unlike Thomas, he could be a better defensive version with what he has shown thus far in his ability to pressure opposing guards.

"“The defensive end is really important for him, mastering our concepts and being able to do the right thing in the right situation with what our scheme is,” Boston Celtics assistant coach Kara Lawson told MassLive’s Tom Westerholm.  “That’s No. 1, that’s most important…the one thing that Brad (Stevens) told us in working with our players (at Summer League) is we want them to have a great, firm grasp of foundationally who we want our team to be.  So he’s working toward that.  That was a great first step.”"

A great first step indeed.

With the toughness he has shown on both ends of the court, there is no doubt Stevens is going to love working with a player like Carsen Edwards.  Though his scoring will really prove to be a value to the team immediately, what he does on defense will surprise many throughout the NBA.

Again, it’s only Summer League, but there was enough shown by Edwards to believe he will be a factor off the bench at some point during the 2019 NBA season, if not immediately.

Working with and learning from players like All-Star guard Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart should only increase the overall package Carsen Edwards brings to the table.

In all, the Boston Celtics may have just hit gold late in the draft with the No. 33 pick overall.