With the emergence of Jaylen Brown’s playmaking ability, Payton Pritchard’s shooting and the addition of Tristan Thompson in the front court, earning playing time seems to be more of an uphill battle now than it was last season for players near the end of the Celtics’ bench.
Although the path is more difficult, Brad Stevens is pleased with how players like Aaron Nesmith, Carsen Edwards and Tremont Waters have worked and taken advantage of whatever opportunity comes their way, no matter how small it is.
“The hard part about getting more minutes is that there are guys ahead of them,” Stevens said in reference to the trio. “Not only do you have to be really good; you have to prepare, get better, you also have to displace the person in front fo you. All of those things are really hard.”
The Celtics led 96-71 going into the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. Stevens says he thought Nesmith, Edwards and Waters “all provided things” during the game, but specifically mentioned the play of Edwards down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
Edwards scored nine points, dished two assists and scooped up three rebounds in 12 minutes of playing time.
“I was specifically impressed with the way Carsen came out and played that entire fourth quarter not only making shots, but driving the ball, making the right play,” said Stevens. “I thought they all had really good moments. They are all working hard.”
The fight for minutes has only become more difficult during the coronavirus pandemic. The team is not able to fully practice as often or have as many shootarounds. Stevens said that a lot more work is being done in the film room and individually.
He commended the group’s resolve and ability to adapt to the circumstances, but also noted that, even if you work really hard, there is a lot of talent in the league and displacing the guy in front of you is not easy.
“This is the NBA,” said Stevens. “There are really good players ahead of you sometimes. It is not just about how hard you’re working and how much you’re improving. Sometimes it’s about health and opportunity and you have to beat somebody out.”
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https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2021/01/brad-stevens-boston-celtics-bench-working-hard-to-find-minutes.html
Brad Stevens: Boston Celtics’ bench ‘working hard’ to find minutes - MassLive.com
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