Boston Celtics: Rookies are going to have ample opportunities in playoffs

In the grand scheme of things, the Boston Celtics are going to have to rely on their rookies more often than not in the playoffs.

After the team’s first live practice last week, Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens was impressed with the way his rookies fared up against the starters and more prominent players on the team, while specifically pointing out the progressions he saw from Carsen Edwards.

"“[Edwards] had a terrific Day 1. It’s great for them [rookies] now, it looks like they’ve made good strides.” – Brad Stevens, per Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston"

Edwards has struggled thus far in his rookie year since his sensational performance in the Summer League when he connected on eight 3-pointers in one quarter that ultimately landed him a contract with the C’s and an endorsement deal with Adidas.

Despite his declined performance for the Celtics, Edwards has played tremendously well in the 13 games he played for the Celtics’ G-League affiliate team, the Maine Red Claws, where he was averaging 22.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game prior to the NBA’s hiatus.

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The same goes for Romeo Langford. The Celtics drafted Langford using their top draft pick knowing he was going to need reconstructive surgery on his thumb due to a torn ligament in his shooting hand. Langford has since progressed in each game he’s played, and like Edwards, has excelled for the Red Claws in the seven games he’s played in the G-League, averaging 10.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game.

Grant Williams is the only drafted rookie to not play in Maine this season for the Red Claws. Although it may not always look ideal, Williams has done quite a superb job of jumping into this team headfirst during his first NBA season. The rookie has logged in five starts and has a keen understanding of what the Celtics are trying to do both offensively and defensively, which allows him to be versatile and play/ defend both the forward positions and center.

Of the four drafted rookies, only three – Williams, Langford, and Edwards – are eligible to play in the playoffs for the Celtics this season. Tremont Waters, the Rookie of the Year of the G-League, unfortunately, will be disqualified from the playoffs due to him being on a two-way contract with the Red Claws, and the same goes for the tallest active player in the league, Tacko Fall.

There’s a chance that Langford and Williams will both see more minutes through the playoffs as the Celtics are expected to be without Gordon Hayward at some point during September due to the birth of his fourth child. This puts the Celtics in a unique situation as Langford gives you another scorer and defender on the floor, while Williams gives you the leverage of essentially having two centers on the floor at once; one small and one big.