Rating the Celtics rookies midway through the season

BOSTON — One-third of their 15-player roster consists of rookies, while a pair of first-year players are on two-way contracts.

After having just two rookies — Robert Williams and Brad Wanamaker — a year ago, the Celtics have plenty of youth on a team that is off to a 27-11 start.

But of all the first-year players, only one, Grant Williams, has been getting consistent minutes for the Celtics.

Their top draft pick, Romeo Langford, has been slowed by injuries and illness. Second-round pick Carsen Edwards has struggled with his outside shot. Javonte Green has been unable to crack the rotation and Vincent Poirier has been behind Daniel Theis and Enes Kanter at the center spot.

The players on two-way deals, Tremont Waters and Tacko Fall, have appeared in five and four NBA games, respectively, spending most of their time with the Maine Red Claws.

The Celtics conclude a three-game homestand Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons, then travel to Milwaukee for a Thursday night game against the top team in the NBA, the Bucks.

Here’s a look at the Celtics’ rookies and where they stand as the season’s midway point approaches:

Grant Williams

The forward from Tennessee was the No. 22 pick last June and is averaging 15.7 minutes a game.

Because of his versatility, the 6-foot-6 Williams has spent some time as an undersized center. Williams has appeared in all but two games this season and is averaging 3.4 points and 2.3 rebounds.

Williams missed his first 25 shots from 3-point range this season but has hit nine of the last 23.

Romeo Langford

After one season at Indiana, Langford was the 14th pick in the draft, but he was unable to take part in the summer league following thumb surgery that hampered his only collegiate season.

The Celtics went to work on the mechanics of Langford’s shot once he was ready, but he has been unavailable for 13 games due to a sore right knee, a right ankle sprain and an illness.

Langford was back in uniform for Monday night’s win over the Chicago Bulls and played the final two minutes, but he has appeared in just 10 games, averaging 2.3 points in 9.4 minutes.

Coach Brad Stevens did have Langford on the court for between 15 and 23 minutes in four straight games last month, and Langford provided a glimpse that he could be a useful player.

After sitting out four games with an illness, Langford needs work and could be headed to the Red Claws for some playing time.

Carsen Edwards

The Celtics made a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers to land the No. 33 pick in the draft and chose Edwards, who had a sensational NCAA Tournament with Purdue. Edwards had 42 points in games against Villanova and national champion Virginia with the Boilermakers just missing the Final Four.

He put on a show during a preseason game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, going 8-for-11 on 3-pointers and scoring 26 points in the third quarter alone.

But during the regular season, Edwards has struggled with his shot, making 31% overall and 31% from 3-point range (18-for-59). Edwards has not played more than 10 minutes since Dec. 6 and is averaging 3.2 points in 9.9 minutes over 27 games.

Edwards was sent to the Red Claws earlier this week where he has played six games and averaged 21.8 points this season.

Javonte Green

After going undrafted out of Radford in 2015, Green played in Europe before getting a look from the Celtics during the summer and he made the roster. An athlete who has had some sensational dunks, Green has appeared in 30 games, scoring 2.9 points in 7.8 minutes.

Vincent Poirier

The 7-foot center from France returned to the active roster on Monday after missing 13 games with a right pinkie fracture. Poirier was not in the rotation before getting hurt, appearing in 10 games (4.9 minutes, 1.7 points, 1.5 rebounds).

Tremont Waters

The second-round pick from LSU is averaging 20.8 points, 8.1 assists and 2.5 steals in 17 games with the Red Claws. He has had some impressive stints in five games with the Celtics when called upon.

Tacko Fall

The 7-foot-5 center has developed quite the following around the NBA, despite playing just 21 minutes in four games. Fall has played meaningful minutes just once with the Celtics, last week against the San Antonio Spurs, but ranks sixth in All-Star voting in the frontcourt.

With the Red Claws, Fall is averaging 13.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and three blocks in 13 games.

jfenton@enterprisenews.com

On Twitter at @JFenton_ent