Grading Jevon Carter’s two-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks
By Dalton Sell
Assessing Jevon Carter’s fit and role with the Milwaukee Bucks
During his brief time with the Milwaukee Bucks last season, Jevon Carter showcased that he could be the perfect backup point guard for this team.
When George Hill was on the sidelines due to injury, Carter filled in and played the best basketball of his NBA career. The guard has always been known as a defensive ace, and he was utilized as so when he was fortunate enough to hit the floor. Carter oftentimes hounded opposing ball-handlers the entire length of the court, which made life challenging for them. While the Bucks expected the 26-year-old to play robust defense, they likely did not expect how great he would perform on the offensive side of things, having averaged 5.6 points while shooting 55.8 percent from three, both of which were new career bests. Next season, Carter will be tasked with doing more of the same, making his presence felt defensively by pestering opposing guards while providing reliable outside shooting on the opposite end.
Due to Carter’s strong defense and long distance shooting, he fits perfectly with the Bucks. He can be utilized in any lineup that the team throws out on the floor. It is far from controversial to say he should be Milwaukee’s full-time backup point guard next season, as Bucks fans consistently asked for last season. Instead, Budenholzer rode with Hill until the end of the line, which proved to be an incredible mistake as the veteran had a lousy playoff performance, to say the least. Unless he will be moved this offseason, Hill is set to be on the roster once again next year, but Carter should be placed above him in the rotation. Carter is younger, provides more outside shooting, and brings a much stronger brand of defense to the table. Not to mention that Carter will do all of that while he makes about half as much as Hill next season.
If the Bucks were to move on from Hill, it would open the door to a more significant role for Carter, which is something the front office should have in mind. The backup point guard position has been a revolving door for Milwaukee over the last few seasons, and they may have finally struck gold by bringing in Carter last season, so they should take advantage and fully utilize him.