BOSTON -- Carsen Edwards expects to be nervous before the Boston Celtics’ season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers, but that’s pretty normal -- Edwards said he gets nervous before every game he plays.
“Just because it matters,” Edwards told MassLive on Tuesday. "I want to do well. I have nerves, but I normally lose them before I start playing. But we’ll see though.
“Each game is important. It’s important to me.”
The Celtics’ rookies should have plenty of opportunities to showcase themselves against the Sixers. Edwards in particular made a strong case for minutes during the preseason, pouring in 3-pointers at Splash-Brother levels. Grant Williams could grab some minutes as well, after showcasing versatile defensive skills and better-than-expected floor spacing in Summer League and preseason. Romeo Langford is out with a knee sprain, but teammates and coaches have spoken highly of his performance in practice so far.
Of course, rookies hoping to make an immediate impression might be tempted to do a little too much. Williams said avoiding that trap will be crucial.
“Biggest thing for us is to just play consistently,” Williams said. "We can’t be outside of our means because that’s not what this team needs. It needs us to be who we are. This team needs us to impact winning, and that doesn’t necessarily mean going out there and scoring 45 points in a game. It’s more so about doing the little things, doing anything that it takes for us to win defensively, and then executing the offensive game plan.”
Still, nerves can affect even the best intentions. MassLive suggested to Edwards that he has been in higher-pressure environments before -- such as the NCAA tournament, where he shined in both the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.
Edwards didn’t agree.
“(This is) a dream though," Edwards said. "I’m excited, but I feel just the same amount -- I don’t feel pressure, but the importance of it is up there with any other, just because it’s the NBA. It’s my first time as my job.”
One good sign for Boston’s rookies: The veterans have set a good example. Edwards nodded at Jaylen Brown, who was working on ball-handling drills a few feet away.
“I’ve learned a lot,” he said. “(The veterans) talk to you too, and honestly, not them being vocal about it, but just watching them, watching them play, handle scenarios, and in the game, how they guard certain people and things like that I learn from. And you’ve got people like (Marcus) Smartie, he’s more vocal, and he’ll talk to me. When he sees me doing something, he’ll bring me aside and talk to me. It’s just the process of growing and I’m grateful to have guys like that around. I’ve still got to earn my minutes, but they’re trying to give me the knowledge I need.”
For Edwards, and for the rest of Boston’s youth movement, this is all part of the process.
“As long as I’m helpful for the team, that’s most important, and I’m not getting too high or too low," Edwards said. "I’m not expecting anything based off what I did in the preseason. So keep the confidence, but also realize I still have a far way to go to build trust and earn playing time.”