I don't often get excited by small, second-round draft picks, but I am about Carsen Edwards. And it appears, I am not alone. According to Celtics Blog's Keith Smith, an anonymous Boston coach is really high on Edwards (per NESN's Chris Gernham):
Carsen may get listed at 6'1", but he is a bit shorter than that at 6'0.25". But at 200 pounds and a lean 5.5% body fat, he is strong, talented and determined. One other very-determined little guy, former-Celtic and 3-time NBA Slam Dunk Champion, Nate Robinson, recently showed love for Edwards on Instagram.
Robinson, at 5'9", is a good three inches shorter than Edwards but equals Carsen in the physique department. He is a muscular 174 pounds, and I recently watched him perform with the BIG3 League at TD Garden in Boston last summer. He was a menace for defenders, particularly shooting from distance, but he did give up something on defense - not because of his intensity, but rather due to his lack of size. That is usually the issue with the little guys on defense.
So what is Carsen Edwards' ceiling? No one knows yet, but take a look at the 1970 NBA draft. The first two players picked in the second round were Calvin Murphy and Nate Archibald. Both had long, excellent careers and collected seven All-Star selections between them. Carsen was selected with the 3rd pick in the second round, and that may be a steal for Boston. They need some good fortune this coming season.
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“That’s a classic Danny (Ainge) pick,” they (Celtics coach) told Smith. “He loves those undersized guards who have a heart as big as this gym. Carsen is a killer. He’s strong too. We wanted to sit him a game out here and he looked at us like we took his world away. It will take a bit for him to adjust to the NBA, but we’ve got another good guard coming.”
“He’s got that little move all small guards need to create space. He gets a shoulder (truly a shoulder and not his arm) into the defender and steps back. He’s strong when driving. I didn’t see him get stripped once. Not a pure point guard by any means, but Boston has had a lot of luck with guys who are pure lead guards. Defensively he’s competitive, but his size hurts him there. Probably need to match him with good defenders around him.”
Carsen may get listed at 6'1", but he is a bit shorter than that at 6'0.25". But at 200 pounds and a lean 5.5% body fat, he is strong, talented and determined. One other very-determined little guy, former-Celtic and 3-time NBA Slam Dunk Champion, Nate Robinson, recently showed love for Edwards on Instagram.
Confirmed: Carsen Edwards is Nate Robinson’s favorite young PG. pic.twitter.com/Fnm20fD11G
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) July 18, 2019
Robinson, at 5'9", is a good three inches shorter than Edwards but equals Carsen in the physique department. He is a muscular 174 pounds, and I recently watched him perform with the BIG3 League at TD Garden in Boston last summer. He was a menace for defenders, particularly shooting from distance, but he did give up something on defense - not because of his intensity, but rather due to his lack of size. That is usually the issue with the little guys on defense.
So what is Carsen Edwards' ceiling? No one knows yet, but take a look at the 1970 NBA draft. The first two players picked in the second round were Calvin Murphy and Nate Archibald. Both had long, excellent careers and collected seven All-Star selections between them. Carsen was selected with the 3rd pick in the second round, and that may be a steal for Boston. They need some good fortune this coming season.
Follow Tom at @CelticsSentinel, @_Celtics_Center, @CausewayStreet and Facebook
A good 6' is not that bad, especially if the player is strong and can't be pushed around, considering that Rozier is usually listed at 6'1" and just got paid a lot of money to start for the Hornets. Another reason to start Brown and have Smart lead the second unit is that with Smart on the floor with him to play defense as well as to set him up, Edwards should probably start shining quite quickly. I already see us as one of the deeper teams for this coming season.
ReplyDeleteA Smart/Edwards 2nd-unit back court could work well. Smart at the point and Carsen at shooting guard. Marcus' passing and defense, and Edwards attacking the paint, or putting up shots from deep (real deep?) might be tough for opponents, particularly when Edwards adapts to the NBA. I must admit, I am excited.
DeleteDefinitely agree with David here. Brown should start and Smart is a perfect sixth man and a great natural complement to Edwards. I also agree that the Cs could be sneaky deep this season.
ReplyDeleteEdwards lets it fly like no one in memory. And he looks tough as nails. We all hope things click for the C's this season. They are due.
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