Devin Carter is a 6’2” guard from Providence who works hard at sharpening his basic skills to win basketball. It is not hard to foresee Carter making winning plays in the NBA. He plays blue collar basketball and is tough, displaying that tenacity and determination he has. When people talk about Carter, the main idea people usually get about him is his defensive prowess.
Carter started his freshman year at South Carolina and started only seven games during his 30 SEC appearances. During that time, he averaged 9.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in playing time average of 18.7 minutes per game. Be for his sophomore year he decided to transfer to Providence before his sophomore year because he wanted a more significant role. At Providence he started in 33 games for his two seasons with the Friars.
His junior year he averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals in 35.3 minutes per game for the season. All the figures he averaged are career-high for him except for his steals.
His impressive and best season of his career earned him the 2023-2024 Big East Player of the Year. He played so well that he was the leading scorer in the Big East for the 2023-2024 season.
Carter’s impressive most recent season of basketball playing is what helped him get recognition for his Draft stock. He even became widely considered as one of the best two-way guards in the nation. Whether he makes it as a point guard or a shooting guard in the NBA will be determined by his decision-making plays. Even with his great scoring ability to drive to the rim and hit three-
point shots, he needs to develop a better mid-range shot.
Carter was gifted with a certain mechanics and frame to go along with his discipline, and it
makes him effective on defense. During his collegiate career, Carter gave guards a tough time because of his point-of-attack defense. His talent to handle switches well causes his defense to stand out even more. With his height he is not the biggest, but he manages to rattle players who have a size advantage over him.
Carter plays like he is bigger than his opponents which gives him a rebound advantage. Last season, he grabbed 8.7 rebounds per game. He is a great off-ball threat as well. He possesses a great instinct to jump in front of passing lanes.
Carter can make plays at the rim on offense, and it shows his grit. When driving to the rim, it is more than likely that he will finish because he shot over 60% in that area. He has an effective catch-and-shoot as well, as he made 40% of his perimeter shots. From Carter’s second season to his third season, all his offensive numbers improved.
His biggest jump of improvement came from his three-point shooting. He will stay on the court during significant moments of huge games if he maintains above 35%. Carter’s mechanics still needs some work even though his catch-and-shoot numbers are solid. His perimeter shot may become more effective if he improves the smoothness of his release when shooting the ball.
Carter was not placed into situations where he had to take over the game at Providence, which shows that his game was not great enough to do that. Carter has proven that he can run a pick-and-roll, but he would turn the ball over or make a bad pass if he were doubled or saw multiple defenders surrounding him. Early in Carter’s professional career, he might fit more in the role of
being an off-ball player. As he develops, he may improve enough to be relied on at the end of basketball games.
Fortunately for Carter, his style of play is what every team in the NBA is looking for. Whoever
takes Carter will have themselves a fierce competitor that every team wants. At this point in Carter’s career, he is doing everything that a coach would want a player to do while they are on the court. Kevin O’ Connor recently reported that Carter was promised a lottery team picking, so many people are curious to see which team will choose the guard.
Carter is often compared to Derrick White. This is because he can jumpstart his team out of nowhere with his defensive abilities and explosiveness. His career just may follow a similar trajectory to White, and that would not be surprising. He could start as a guard who has a defensive mindset but works his way into becoming an elite two-way player who can become a starter on almost any team in the NBA.
Carter has a promising start to his NBA career because of his “dawg” mentality. He certainly has some areas to improve on, but he should be effective right away and build onto it if he stays healthy. Carter has proven he is a defensive beast at the collegiate level and is looking forward to building that reputation further in his career. Coaches see that he has enormous potential in the NBA and can develop into a talent that can be relied on in clutch moments during the games.
