Waters, Edwards find flow
C’s guards feed off each other
LAS VEGAS — At a respective 6-foot and 5-10, Celtics Carsen Edwards and Tremont Waters comprise the smallest starting backcourt in the NBA Summer League.
Just try to take advantage of those alleged size mismatches. It should be pointed out that despite his size, Waters was named the SEC’s defensive player of the year as an LSU sophomore.
He averaged 2.88 steals at the time — just a shade over the 2.33 he averaged over the first three games leading up to last night’s game against Memphis, a meeting of 3-0 teams.
Edwards has averaged 1.33 steals this week, and has used his strength — he’s short and muscular, with a running back’s build– to also apply pressure.
Together they’ve been annoying enough to frustrate a number of opposing guards this week.
“I’ve seen it,” Waters said of that frustration. “But that’s not gonna make me stop. I’ve just got to keep doing it, keep picking up full court, and Carsen’s doing a great job also. And we’re just feeding off each other.”
It’s worked well down the other end, too, where Edwards leads the offense in everything from scoring (19.0 points per game) to made 3-pointers (12) and 3-point shooting (48 percent). Waters has been equally skilled running a summer league offense, with a team-high 4.0 assists per game.
Though the switch to actual NBA competition has been known to drag the best young guards down to tractor pull speed, Scott Morrison appreciates this backcourt combination.
“I’d say their ball pressure, their effort to defend, get into people’s space, direct the ball,” the Celtics assistant
and summer league coach said of what Waters and Edwards have done well defensively.
Morrison pointed to the Celtics’ win over Cleveland, when Waters and Edwards took turns on Cavs guard Naz Mitrou-Long, who shot 3-for-14 for 13 points.
“It wasn’t perfect but their energy made up for a few technical mistakes,” said Morrison. “And just moving them around. Long was their best player offensively. We had Carsen on him for the better part of the first half, start of the third (quarter), and thought they were starting to get comfortable so we switched up Tre and Carsen’s matchups and mix up who they had bring the ball up. I thought it was pretty effective. Those guys do a pretty good job hawking the ball, picking and choosing their time to reach so it’s not gambling for fouls.”
Waters’ quick hands have been on display in those situations.
“It’s just instinct. It just happens,” Waters said. “I have to learn how to manage it, when to go and not go — I would say a tad bit quicker and understanding in this circumstance I can’t go for the steal and other circumstances just play off instinct. But I think I’m doing a good job of listening to the coaches and learning and just trying to apply it where it needs to be applied.”
As Morrison admits, Waters’ deftness and dexterity can provide quite a show.
“I think he has great timing and hands. He’s shown three different kind of sides of his defense,” Morrison said. “Yesterday we had him on (a player), who’s a shooter, in Game 1. He got right into his body, trailed him on screens, really made it hard for him to get anything in terms of a look.
“Today we had him on a point guard for a lot of the time and he disrupted him and turned him around midcourt, and impacted the ball on pick-and-rolls,” added the Celtics assistant. “And the other thing that he’s been doing well is off the ball in pick-and-rolls, sneaking in there and tagging, but not just tagging, getting his hand on some balls for some deflections and steals. I think he’s been good. He’s picking and choosing his times. He’s gotten a little bit loose offensively so I’m trying to keep him locked in to being solid. But a guy like that, sometimes you’ve gotta let him go too because he can make special plays.”
Nothing is as temporary as summer league chemistry, but for now the Celtics’ two second-round backcourt picks have found a lot to like about each other’s game.
“I’ve never played with someone as talented as Carsen and has a high basketball IQ like him,” Waters said. “Everybody says we’re smaller guards, but in my opinion, that doesn’t really matter. Like I’ve always said, it’s not about the size of the dog, it’s about the size of the fight in the dog. So that’s just something I live by, it’s something Carsen obviously lives by, and it’s definitely playing in our favor.
“I would say he’s score first. That’s just his game. I’m pass first. To be able to play with him, I’m starting to see a lot more shots open up. Just playing and obviously I can’t pass the ball every time, and just learning that balance. And he tells me he’s trying to learn that balance of passing it. Like I said, we’re just feeding off each other, and it’s definitely working out relatively well in my opinion.”