Spurs Prospect Preview: Devin Carter

Virtually yearly there’s a participant who receives a “promise” within the NBA Draft. This occurs when a workforce informs a participant they are going to be deciding on them (if they’re out there once they decide.) This yr it appears that evidently a prospect has a promise within the lottery.

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported that Windfall guard, Devin Carter, acquired a promise by a workforce deciding on within the top-14. That has led to hypothesis that stated workforce is the San Antonio Spurs, who’re rumored to be excessive on Carter. These are simply rumors in the meanwhile, but it surely shouldn’t be shocking that the Spurs like Carter. He brings a mix of abilities San Antonio values at a place of want.

Carter is a 22-year-old Junior guard from Windfall who’s coming off the most effective season of his profession. Carter beat out different school basketball stars like Donovan Clingan, Stephon Fortress and Tyler Kolek for Huge East Participant of the Yr. After one among Windfall’s main scorers, Bryce Hopkins, went down with an damage, Carter was thrust into a number one position and excelled in it. Regardless of not making the NCAA Match, Carter stored the Friars feisty all season.

Carter is a tough nosed, defensive guard who displayed some taking pictures skill this season. He seemingly will get plenty of his work ethic from his father, Anthony Carter, who was a torchbearer of toughness for the Miami Warmth for a few years, and performed for 13 seasons within the NBA (together with 5 video games with the Spurs within the 2003-04 season). If the Spurs do take Carter, they’ll be getting a troublesome guard who may house the ground subsequent to Victor Wembanyama.

Devin Carter, 6-foot-3 guard, Windfall

2023-2024 stats: 19.7 factors, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 47.3% FG, 37.7% 3PT, 74.9% FT, 56.4% eFG

Participant comparability: Marcus Sensible

Strengths

Carter is well-known for his defensive skill. He’s a powerful, bodily defender on the level of assault who disrupts opposing ball handlers. Whereas he’s solely 6-foot-3, his 6-foot-8.75 inch wingspan permits him to play larger than he’s. He has good lateral quickness, size and instincts to create turnovers each on and off the ball. He averaged 1.8 steals a sport this season with a 2.9% steal charge.

His defensive worth doesn’t cease at his body and talent. He’s an absolute canine on the ground. Carter performed 35.3 minutes per sport this season (there are 40 min in a university sport) and all of them had been exhausting. He was given main duties on each ends of the ground and thrived whereas enjoying large minutes. He competes bodily on the inside and chases after offensive boards. His rebounding is spectacular for a guard, grabbing 8.7 a sport with 1 offensive board per sport.

However Carter isn’t a kind of gamers that makes up for subpar athleticism with grit. He’s an excellent athlete, too. Carter was one of many standouts at this yr’s Draft Mix, the place he tied for the most effective vertical leap at 42-inches, ran the quickest three-quarter courtroom dash (2.87 seconds) and completed top-three within the lane agility check (10.63 seconds.)

That athleticism is obvious on movie. Carter is a pleasure to observe on the break. If he will get a steal, he’s in a position to get to the opposite finish shortly for a dunk. He has a fast first step that enables him to aggressively assault closeouts or gaps within the protection. He makes use of his energy and athleticism to attain over and round smaller guards on the rim the place he completed 65.9% of the time final season. He can soar above defenses for rebounds or lob dunks. His explosiveness will likely be a significant weapon on the subsequent degree.

Coming into the season, Carter’s taking pictures would have been seen as a weak spot. In his first two seasons of faculty ball, he shot under 30% from deep. Carter has an unorthodox push shot. Suppose Tyrese Haliburton however with extra elevate from his decrease physique. Mechanics be damned, the ball went in for him this season. Carter shot 37.7% on 6.8 makes an attempt per sport. He confirmed flashes of taking pictures the ball from DEEP vary (I’m speaking clutch photographs on the brand) and off the dribble. He’s most constant when he can catch and shoot (40.2% from three.) He shot simply 34% from deep off dribble jumpers and solely 30.8% off screens. Scouts will likely be combined on how Carter’s shot interprets to the following degree. If his development up to now is any indication, he’ll seemingly solely enhance as a shooter.

Weaknesses

Carter is a tough prospect to poke holes in. There are the apparent criticisms, like his age. Nonetheless, I see that as a energy relatively than a weak spot. Carter will convey a degree of basketball IQ and composure that different youthful rookies might lack, and given how a lot he’s already improved, it looks as if there may be nonetheless untapped potential in him.

Nonetheless, Carter doesn’t seem to be the kind of participant who will likely be a main scorer and playmaker on the subsequent degree. Carter has a fantastic deal with, but it surely’s not a very artistic one. He confirmed flashes of shot creation, however didn’t shoot notably effectively off the dribble. He made simply 28.8% on non-rim two-point makes an attempt. His greatest photographs got here in spot up conditions, in transition and on straight line drives.

He additionally doesn’t profile as a high-usage level guard. He had a 3.6 to 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio final season attributable to frequent errant passes. It’s not that Carter is a foul passer, he’s a very good lob thrower in transition and confirmed some poise within the decide and roll. He had a 23.2 help charge which is darn good. The turnovers happen an excessive amount of for Carter to be somebody you hand the keys to an offense straight away.

At this stage, Carter is greatest as a three-and-D guard/wing hybrid who performs off the ball, and handles some play initiating. Casting him as a lead playmaker at this stage of his improvement can be a mistake.

Spurs match

Carter checks plenty of containers for the Spurs. He can defend on the level of assault, house the ground, play in transition and guard a number of positions. They wouldn’t want Carter to dominate the ball as their system requires ball and participant motion. He’d present them with a Marcus Sensible or Derrick White kind of guard who doesn’t want the ball in his fingers to be impactful.

He would thrive with the Spurs up-tempo play model. Carter, Wembanyama, Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan can be a lot enjoyable in transition. He’d additional solidify the Spurs bettering defensive personnel and produce a tough nosed perspective whereas doing so. If we’ve discovered something from the NBA Playoffs, it’s that having a number of gamers who can dribble, move, shoot and defend goes to offer groups a definite benefit. Carter would assist the Spurs construct that kind of roster.

He most probably is just not the long-term reply at level guard. The Spurs would nonetheless must discover a participant who can deal with the majority of ball-handling obligations and a dependable decide and roll associate for Wembanyama. Carter can be a pleasant supplemental piece, and if he hits his ceiling, can be an superior second guard on a playoff workforce. He must be firmly within the dialog for the Spurs eighth-overall choice.

Earlier Prospects:

Rob Dillingham

Reed Sheppard

Nikola Matter

Zaccharie Risacher

Stephon Fortress

Tidjane Salaun

Ron Holland

Matas Buzelis