Grading the Milwaukee Bucks’ signing of Jevon Carter
By Dalton Sell
Examining Jevon Carter’s role with the Milwaukee Bucks
Depending on the severity of Hill’s injury and whether or not that carries over post-All-Star break, Carter will play the role of being either Milwaukee’s backup or third-string point guard. The Bucks will not ask him to be a difference-maker, but the guard could be a solid piece in a minimized role.
Offensively, Carter does not bring much to the table for the Bucks, having averaged 4.3 points per game for his career. He will not be tasked with scoring in bunches, but his perimeter shooting may be his best bet to help out. The fourth-year guard has shot 36.9 percent from 3-point range on an average of 2.6 attempts per game for his career, which is passable. He is having a down year this season by hitting just 33.1 percent of his attempts, but according to NBA.com/stats, he has shot it well on “wide-open” attempts, going 23-of-61 (37.7 percent) this season. Carter will get plenty of these wide-open looks with the Bucks. and it would help if he could hit them consistently.
Where Carter could truly make a difference for the Bucks is on the defensive end. Dating back to his college days at West Virginia, Carter has been known as a robust defensive guard, which has translated over into the NBA as well. Statistically, the 26-year-old has been outstanding when he has matched up against other guards this season, holding them to 41-of-111 (36.9 percent) on field-goal attempts and 11-of-51 (21.6 percent) on 3-point attempts. With defense like that, the Bucks can use Carter to defend top-notch guards when Holiday is off the floor.
Carter’s role will not be significant, seeming somewhere around possibly 15 minutes per game as the Milwaukee Bucks attempt to get healthy down the stretch.