7 players the Boston Celtics should have never given a chance
By Ben Grunert
Carsen Edwards
Carsen Edwards made March Madness history in 2019 when he dropped 42 points in the Elite Eight against Villanova. The Purdue product rained down 10 threes in that game and broke an all-time tournament record with 28 long bombs, doing so in just four games. He also broke Steph Curry’s record for total points through four games in the NCAA tournament, pouring in 34.8 points per game for a total of 139 points.
This all-time tournament scoring run understandably piqued Danny Ainge’s interest, and the Celtics tried to capture some of that March magic when they took a chance on Edwards with the No. 33 pick.
At first, the diminutive point guard excited Boston Celtics fans with a promising Summer League where he notched a team-high 19.4 points per contest, per Real GM stats. Edwards backed his scorching summer up in the preseason when he nailed nine threes in a 30-point outburst against the Cavaliers. In short, Edwards gave fans a lot to cheer for before he had even played an official NBA game.
Then came opening night and the 82-game season that ensued. Once Edwards began his career, the magic started to wear off. It eventually wore off completely.
In two seasons with the Celtics, Edwards averaged 3.6 points per game on 37.2% shooting with a 30.2% clip from beyond the arc. C-Boogie’s lack of size often proved glaring on both ends, especially against opposing perimeter players with notable height and strength.
Unfortunately for Edwards, he joined a crowded guard rotation that made up a large chunk of the 2021-22 Celtics. The former Boilermaker struggled to find consistent playing time amid a roster loaded with talent on the wing. He averaged single-digit minutes in both of his seasons with Boston, only playing a combined 68 games across two years.
The Celtics ultimately made the right call trading Edwards away in 2019 — even if they made a mistake receiving Hernangomez in return. Thankfully for Edwards, he shouldn’t have to worry about playing time this upcoming season. The five-foot-11 sparkplug will play for FC Bayern Munich in Germany, marking his second consecutive season in the EuroLeague.