Celtics Rookie Carsen Edwards Broke Out With A 26-Point Quarter Against The Cavaliers

When Carsen Edwards slipped into the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft, it was a mild surprise. After all, the former Purdue guard was highly prolific at the college level and, under the bright lights of the NCAA Tournament, Edwards put on quite a show in nearly leading the Boilermakers to an upset over the eventual national champions in Virginia. While it is (very) early in his professional career, Edwards is making a strong impression as a member of the Boston Celtics this preseason and, on Tuesday evening, the 21-year-old utterly exploded.

During Boston’s preseason tilt against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Edwards connected on eight (yes, eight) three-pointers in less than nine minutes during the third quarter.

The lunacy of that kind of production speaks for itself but Edwards scored 26 (!) points in 8:46 and the mere reality of that is virtually awe-inspiring.

Obviously, the rookie guard shouldn’t be relied on to duplicate this kind of thing on anything resembling a regular basis but, at the same time, Edwards’ ability to go nuclear at any given moment is part of his appeal. It has to be noted that the Cavaliers project to have one of the worst defenses in the league and, after all, this was a preseason game. Still, there is a relatively short list of players that are equipped to take advantage of even those favorable circumstance with this kind of explosion and Edwards did so with gusto.

Edwards’ showing even drew the attention of a future Hall of Fame guard in Dwyane Wade.

The Celtics have a deep and interesting roster, including a talented rookie class that includes a pair of players (Romeo Langford and Grant Williams) drafted ahead of Edwards in 2019. However, Boston could certainly utilize Edwards as an “instant offense” player in a reserve role, knowing full well that Brad Stevens and company could keep him on a relatively short leash on any night in which he didn’t have it going on a grand scale.

Boston’s starting point guard spot is filled with Kemba Walker and the Celtics do have other options in primary roles, from Marcus Smart to the team’s forwards like Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward. Edwards announced his presence with authority on Tuesday, though, and there is every reason to believe he can be a useful piece on a playoff-bound team this season, even while making his rookie voyage.