You just had to have a good feeling when the Celtics drafted Carsen Edwards with the 33rd overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Not just because he presented great value in the second round, but also because Danny Ainge acquired the pick by leveraging the 76ers' interest in Matisse Thybulle.
Edwards was a prolific scorer and shot-maker at Purdue last season, but it would've been unfair to expect him to make similarly absurd shots in his first games as a pro. He did it anyway, leading the Celtics to a 4-1 record and a now franchise-best 19.4 points per game in Summer League play, according to Brian Robb.
The previous leader was Al Jefferson from the 2004 Summer Celtics, where he averaged 18 points and 7.4 rebounds as a second-year big. That '04 Summer League team featured plenty of significant Celtics in Tony Allen, Delonte West and Kendrick Perkins.
Edwards certainly gave Celtics fans a glimpse of what he can offer right away, and Boston made sure to lock him up with a four-year, $4.5 million contract, which isa significant commitment for a second round pick.
Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart and Brad Wanamaker should find themselves ahead of Edwards in the rotation when the season starts, but the rookie guard has shown an ability to be an off-ball threat. With so many ball handlers and primary initiators on the roster this upcoming season, sprinkling Edwards in to provide floor spacing and put a strain on defenses by running around screens could be a very useful tactic for Brad Stevens to deploy.
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