Based on the sample size, the Bulls’ newest addition at point guard is a bit of a gamble, but all signs point to Jevon Carter being precisely what this team needs. A Chicago-born and raised kid, a journeyman to this point in his professional career, Carter has constantly persevered through grit and hustle at each level of his basketball life. His numbers off the bench last season in Milwaukee from three-point range would stand top-three on the Bulls in percentage, 42.1%, and attempts, 4.2 per game. This level of volume and efficiency would bolster a Chicago team that has ranked last in quantity and the bottom half in quality of three-point looks in the past two campaigns. His statistics on paper are not the only things catching the eye of Chicagoans. His demeanor and competitive spirit, similar to those of fellow Chicago native Patrick Beverley, will fire up Bulls fans as much as Beverley did a season ago. Here’s what their new guard had to say in his first interview since being signed this offseason.
“Something I’ve Always Dreamed About”
As any Chicago-born basketball-playing kid, suiting up in the United Center wearing the red and black is the ultimate dream. Carter’s message was nothing different, saying that as a child, he would load up the basketball video game NBA2K and trade himself to the Bulls, hoping it would be a reality one day. When asked about the starting point guard positional battle with Ayo Dosunmu, also from Chicago, here’s what he had to say about the young guard.
“I know he got that same chip on his shoulder that I do, It’s just something you just have growing up playing in the city of Chicago…I feel like we all have it, guys like patrick beverley I’m sure you all see him come in here and have that same chip on his shoulder last year it’s just something you just have playing here.”
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Regarding the starting job at the point guard position, he continued to say whether he’s coming off the bench or starting, “it really don’t matter, I’m just trying to win.” Having a similarly tough-minded player like Beverley for an entire season will be a healthy accountability system for a group of players who played noticeably better after Beverley’s arrival a season ago, 13-9 after his acquisition compared to 27-33 before it.
“I’m Going To Voice My Opinion”
Carter is embracing the leadership role as one of the oldest backcourt members and the point guard of the Chicago Bulls. He knew he still needed to learn how his teammates receive feedback and criticism because everyone’s different, but he also made it known that it would be loud and clear from the jump. A leadership style much like Patrick Beverley embodied during the latter part of last season, the Bulls’ most successful stretch of basketball. As for his thoughts on the gauntlet that the new-look Eastern Conference now represents, he said it best himself.
Carter is also already being well-received by his teammates who’ve faced him in the past. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine each had raving reviews for the newly signed guard, excited to bring his services to their team. LaVine called him a “threat” being added to the floor, saying it makes their lineup instantly better.
Chicago-bred, gritty defensively, knockdown three-point shooter, and transitional weapon. Jevon Carter will have a chance to flourish in Chicago and be a younger and better offensively-suited version of Patrick Beverley a year ago. If he has half the impact on this roster and fanbase as Beverley did, he’ll instantly turn heads for the Bulls this season and contribute to winning basketball very shortly.
