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It didn’t take Michael Carter-Williams long to score
his first NBA basket. In fact, it was less than 30 seconds into the Sixers
season opener against Miami that he took an errant pass from Roger Mason Jr.
the remaining length of the court for a driving dunk.
It was a pretty quick score, and an overall
impressive offensive output for a player many thought would struggle adjusting to
the offensive end of an NBA game.
Carter-Williams showed little signs of such struggle
in his debut, putting up 22 points on 6-10 shooting from the floor, including
four three-pointers. His 22 points represent the most in a Sixers debut since
recently retired Allen Iverson piled in 30 points against the Bucks in 1996.
Carter-Williams showed flashes of excellent
offensive ability, but it is likely that he won’t shoot that well night-in and
night-out. While the offensive output was promising, it was the other things he
did during his debut that demonstrated his potential to be a productive, even
dominant NBA guard.
The Magic Johnson/Jason Kidd comparisons were
laughed off at first, but after flirting with a quadruple-double in his first
professional appearance, the comparisons don’t seem quite as far-fetched. It is
important for a player, especially a point guard, to find other ways to
contribute if they’re struggling to score, and Carter-Williams is a
multi-tooled talent. If his shot isn’t swishing as smoothly as it was against
Miami, he has a myriad of other ways he can contribute.
Carter-Williams is a gifted passer who uses his size
to not only see over defenders, but also to drive and dish. He piled up 12
dimes in his debut on a plethora of different passes, some requiring in-paint
precision, others quick kicks to the wing for open opportunities.
Carter-Williams has excellent court vision; a trait that has been evident since
his stint at Syracuse. He is good at predicting where players will be, and his size
gives him a distinct advantage over smaller point guards, such as Miami’s Mario
Chalmers. If he can continue to use his size, vision and basketball IQ to his
advantage, while minimizing his mistakes (the fact that he only had ONE
turnover in his debut is a phenomenal feat), he will have the ability to
control games without putting up points personally, a la a Rajon Rondo.
Image from Syracuse.com |
His stature also affords him an advantage on the
glass, as he is a solid rebounder from the point guard spot. His length allows
for him to reach up and around smaller guards to secure rebounds, especially on
the defensive end, where he pulled down seven in his debut, and averaged close
to five throughout his college career. Carter-Williams’ defensive rebounds are
especially dangerous because they can immediately ignite a fast break, as he
has the ability to push the ball from end to end and finish the play, either
personally, or with an assist. A handful of rebounds should be a common sight
in his box scores.
Perhaps the most promising aspect displayed by
Michael Carter-Williams during his debut was his defense. He was all over the
floor on that end, pressuring the opposing point out past the three point line,
popping up in passing lanes, and picking pockets. The box score says nine steals,
but his impact on that end stretched beyond stats. He was generally disruptive and made it
difficult for Miami to initiate their offense by providing extended pressure.
His length is an advantage on this end as well, limiting the field of vision of
opposing points and making it difficult for them to make an entry pass. His
ability to generate steals can lead directly to fast break opportunities, as
demonstrated in his debut. It is great to see him pressuring points out past
the three point line, and with his combination of size and speed, there is
little reason to believe he shouldn’t be among the league leaders in steals
this season. Carter-Williams ability to
dominate defensively will be invaluable, especially if he is struggling on the
offensive end.
Magic Johnson has already voiced his belief that
Carter-Williams will be the Rookie of the Year. Perhaps he sees flashes of
himself in the youngster, knowing that the best point guards find ways to
contribute outside of scoring. It is yet to be seen if Carter-Williams will be
the first Sixers since A.I. to take home that hardwood, but with his
multi-faceted skill set, Carter-Williams has the opportunity to develop into a
productive, and dare I say dominant, NBA player.
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