Good bets to contribute
C’s rookies have shot at rotation
Celtics draft classes in the recent past have been neither as populous nor — greater team circumstances considered — with as much of an apparent chance once training camp begins.
By the time the Celtics were eliminated Saturday by Memphis in the quarterfinals of the NBA Summer League, at least two players (Grant Williams and Carsen Edwards) looked like they may be able to challenge for time in Brad Stevens’ rotation.
“Great character kids, they wanted to be coached, they wanted to be together and they worked hard,” said Scott Morrison, the Celtics assistant who coached the summer leaguers. “Over the course of two weeks they really committed to what we were preaching, which was the base of Celtics basketball. I think they can leave here having a good sense of what’s expected of them as a player.
“The guys who are going to be in Boston in the fall have a crash course in the terminology, how we space the floor, how we defend,” he said. “The real success of summer league will be shown in how they come back in the fall and how comfortable they are when they start to play.”
Romeo Langford, the No. 14 pick who missed summer league as he recovers from right thumb surgery, begins his crash course in the fall. But the work of Williams, Edwards and Tremont Waters considered, it holds up as an intriguing draft. Then there was the most popular undrafted free agent ever brought to summer league — Tacko Fall, who had fans literally cheering every time he checked in. He has a training camp contract. That’s when the real test begins.
Here’s a breakdown of what these prospects actually accomplished:
ROBERT WILLIAMS (9.0 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 1.80 bpg): He came in committed to being a better rebounder and passer, and thrived when asked to set up others. His actual scoring ability may be a long-term project.
“He still has to focus on being a better roller,” Morrison said of Williams’ work out of the pick-and-roll. “With his length and leaping ability it’s something he should do well to be a threat offensively. But on the counter point I’d say his passing and spacing and basketball IQ on the offensive side of the ball has really improved.
“He just has to get his motor going off pick-androlls and he’ll be a real threat. But right now with his skill set you put him down in the dunker’s spot and he’s a vertical spacer, so he does that. He showed this week he can pass the ball, so maybe he can do a little more than we planned.”
GRANT WILLIAMS (13.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.8 apg): Williams won’t be taking much of a break.
“Just get back in the gym, try to improve, hopefully not destroy my body too much so I’ll be ready to go from the get-go,” he said.
Al Horford’s departure stripped the Celtics of their only consistent stretch 4 player. But Williams showed an advanced ability to fill the role at both ends, first with the ability to guard multiple positions on the wing, and then with a 3-point shot that may be more advanced than anyone knew. He finished second to Edwards both in terms of made 3-pointers (10) and percentage (.456). Williams says he’s always known he can knock down the 3 – it just wasn’t part of his role at Tennessee. But there will be opportunity in Stevens’ rotation for a player like this.
CARSEN EDWARDS (19.4 ppg, .466 3-point): He plays much bigger than 6-foot in the defensive end thanks to a bulldog mentality when guarding the ball, and his fearlessness on offense — a willingness to take the deep 3-pointer when needed — is well-chronicled. Danny Ainge took him with the 33rd pick, which some already are characterizing as a steal.
“His fearlessness, but we already knew that about him,” Morrison said. “But even the guys who show traits in college, it doesn’t always carry over to the NBA. They hit the summer league and there’s some uneasiness or hesitation, but he came in firing from the get-go.
“He’s very coachable, he’s got a lot of stuff he has to work on too, but definitely opened some eyes here too. Can’t wait to get him back to Brighton to work on some of those things that can build around his shot-making ability.” TREMONT WATERS (11.2 ppg, 4.8 apg, 2.0 spg): Waters played the last two games with the knowledge that his father, Edward, had just died, but with his family in the stands closed out with a 16point performance during Saturday’s loss to Memphis. He’s a gifted playmaker with quick hands who, alongside Edwards, was able to disrupt opposing point guards routinely. He’s on a two-way contract, and could get some limited run time with the parent club.
TACKO FALL (7.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.4 bpg): Before we get carried away, Fall is a project. He displayed betterthan-expected mobility and good hands around the rim, but he was more of a sensation last week because of his 7-foot-6 size than his actual game. He’ll get to test himself out, though, against the varsity this fall. The Celtics have the option of signing him to the last remaining roster spot. Otherwise he’ll be sent to Maine, where he will be exposed to every other team, should someone decide to take a chance.
“My opinion would be that he should be given a shot in the NBA somewhere,” Morrison said. “I’m not saying we should or shouldn’t take him — that’s a decision for the front office. But he showed he’s capable and worthy of a spot. Some of the obvious knocks on him — he can’t run, he’s too slow — he had a lot of moments where he showed he can keep up with the pace, catch the ball on the run.”
JAVONTE GREEN (10.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.80 spg): The Celtics were one of the most dogged defensive teams in the summer league field, and a good part of that relentless style came from this guy. He was the best athlete on the team, and a player the Celtics would love to keep in their orbit somehow, perhaps with the 15th roster spot.
MAX STRUS (9.8 ppg, .450 3-point): Demonstrated a deadly shot, especially from the corners, once he got going. He’s the Celtics’ other two-way contract player, and a promising young shooter.