Boston Celtics two-way rookie guard Tremont Waters recorded seven points in his NBA debut on Monday night during a 103-102 win over the Sacramento Kings.
With Kemba Walker out due to a neck sprain, the Celtics recalled Waters from the G League on Sunday to provide some backcourt depth. In 19 minutes off of the bench, Waters finished a team-high plus-20 on the court while adding three assists and two rebounds.
In place of Walker, Marcus Smart earned the start but Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said prior to the game that he wasn’t opposed to starting Waters. The second-round pick was named the G League Player of the Week on Monday and has looked to be among the best guards thus far in the G League. In five games with the Maine Red Claws, Waters is averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds.
Waters gave the Celtics solid production off of the bench on Monday and looked engaged on both ends of the floor, even channeling his inner Marcus Smart by being a pest on defense. After logging crunch time minutes in the fourth quarter, the Celtics certainly feel confident in his abilities.
After a scary collision on Friday, Walker was forced to be taken off of the court on a stretcher. Fortunately, he suffered only a neck sprain and even tried to play on Monday, a decision the Celtics opted against. So, it appears as though Walker could return on Wednesday, which would likely send Waters back to Maine.
In any case, the performance by Waters on Monday should give the rookie, and the Celtics, confidence that he can contribute in spot minutes when called upon in the future.
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