The Boston Celtics have a new shooting ace in rookie Carsen Edwards, a player who can pay immediate dividends for a team seeking its 18th championship banner.
There’s a good chance the ‘3’ balls will be flying with a lot more accuracy this season for the Boston Celtics. This should be thanks in large part to the arrival of Carsen Edwards.
Edwards, who was taken with the No. 33 pick and had the rights traded away to the Celtics, has a chance to make an impact right off the bat.
A second team All-American selection as a junior, Edwards averaged 24.3 points per game. His play was a big reason the Purdue Boilermakers reached the South regional final in last year’s NCAA tournament. Edwards averaged 34.8 points over four games, including dropping 42 on eventual national champion Virginia.
Carsen Edwards averaged just under four made 3’s per game overall, totaling 135 on the season and finishing with 281 in his career.
In summer league play, Edwards continued to shine. He averaged 19.4 points in five games and was a constant threat from beyond the arc.
The true test, of course, will be the grind of the NBA regular season. Edwards should play an integral part for the Boston Celtics team that is fairly youthful across the board (at least in terms of age). Here are three keys for Edwards to have a successful NBA season in 2019-20.
1. Three-point accuracy
Three-point shooting is a hot commodity in the NBA these days. In the days of yesteryear, teams might have had a few players who shoot the three, with one to two specialists.
In the modern NBA, the majority of the roster can shoot the three. The Boston Celtics certainly have had this in year’s past. And while they’ve had some success, they’ve been missing one thing: the specialist.
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This is not to say this is all Edwards can do, but there has been a lack in some regard on Boston in which a player can come in and be counted on to hit a huge three when needed. The last player who comes to mind is Isaiah Thomas and before him, Ray Allen.
Edwards can hopefully fill that role. He’s a player who can be a spot-up shooter as well as one who creates his own shot. If he’s knocking down the three, hitting an occasional big shot as needed, Edwards will see plenty of playing time in ’19/20.
Can he come in and hit 40 percent of his threes? It’s a mark that would likely put him in the top-20 in the league for percentage. Carsen Edwards has that ability, but if he can make 36-38 percent – and he’s getting a regular amount of attempts and playing time – then he will have a successful debut season.
2. Acclimate to NBA play
This can be a key for any rookie entering the league. Play is faster, players are bigger and stronger, and a player might end up playing twice as many games as they did in their last college season.
Carsen Edwards, listed as a point guard, will not have heavy expectations heaped upon him during his rookie season, which should help him grow.
As will also playing behind Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart (and maybe Brad Wanamaker, in some situations). This will give Edwards a chance to watch as needed, from not only a similar style of player in Walker, but hopefully picking up defensive tips from Smart.
There could even be more opportunities for him to learn as a shooting guard, paired with Walker or Smart on the court. This alleviates some of the pressure and could allow him to get into the rhythm of the game by concentrating on scoring rather than running the offense.
3. Overcoming the rookie wall
If Carsen Edwards is playing regular minutes from game one, there’s a chance he’ll run into that wall many rookies run into. The goal is to overcome it when it does occur and learn from it while growing.
The period from mid-January to the All-Star break is when we often see this happen. There are no indications that Edwards would have trouble overcoming any frustration. He was a leader on Purdue during his time there, often shouldering much of the load his sophomore and junior seasons.
As of now, it does appear Edwards will be a rookie who sees regular playing time. He’s played 18 minutes in each of the first two preseason games, scoring a combined 20 points.
The Boston Celtics and Carsen Edwards have the luxury to not place too much on the rookie’s shoulders. The guard position is the strongest position on Boston so Edwards should have a nice learning curve. The keys of acclimating to the NBA and overcoming the rookie wall go hand-in-hand, but if Edwards can do both while delivering from three-point land, Edwards will have a successful first season.