Tremont Waters made a splash his NBA debut, notching seven points, two rebounds and three assists in the Celtics’ 103-102 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday night at TD Garden.
And the Boston rookie’s hard work certainly isn’t going unnoticed.
The C’s recalled Waters from the Maine Red Claws on Sunday, two days after Kemba Walker sprained his neck in a collision with teammate Semi Ojeleye. Waters practiced with the team that same day, and made his debut just 24 hours later.
His ability to learn on the fly has impressed the likes of Celtics veteran Marcus Smart.
“He came in yesterday (Sunday) and we went over for him some of the offense, the defense and how we want to play,” Smart said Monday night, per Celtics.com’s Taylor Snow. “He picked up on it quick. He came in and he’s a good true point guard, he was finding everybody, he was getting to his spots.”
Head coach Brad Stevens also had high praise for the 21-year-old after Monday’s win.
“He just has control of the game,” he said. “You don’t have to get too creative with any actions, you don’t have to run complicated things. You just have to get in space, give him a step and let him run the right play. I think he’ll play a lot better when it’s not his first time coming out here, but we think he’s really good.”
And while Monday’s debut was a “surreal” experience for Waters, he still isn’t satisfied with where his game currently stands.
“I’ve just gotta keep working and everything else will definitely play itself out,” Waters said Monday night.
For now, Waters has returned to Maine, where he’ll continue to play under his two-way contract with the 5-1 Red Claws. But we’re sure this isn’t the last we’ve seen of him this season.
