Michael Carter-Williams, Houston Rockets
Even though he was the 2013-14 NBA Rookie of the Year, it always felt like Michael Carter-Williams‘ stats were a bit misleading. He shot just 40.5 percent from the field in his rookie campaign, averaged 3.5 turnovers per game and had a Player Efficiency Rating barely above the league average (15.5).
It’s all been downhill from there, as he’s been unable to make a mark during stints in Milwaukee, Chicago and Charlotte. Now, he’s landed in Houston with the Rockets, and on the surface looks to be an awkward fit with the team.
Houston is built on efficient scoring, namely from behind the arc and from the free throw line. As a career 25 percent shooter from deep, Carter-Williams isn’t exactly the prototypical player for coach Mike D’Antoni‘s system.
It won’t be scoring that the Rockets will need from him, though. Houston took a step or two backwards this offseason, as they lost their two best wing defenders in Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute.
There’s a place in Houston’s rotation for versatile defenders, and that could be the niche that Carter-Williams can fill. While his playmaking was solid and his scoring was streaky in his rookie season, it was his defensive work that really stood out.
That was Carter-Williams’ memorable debut. Among those highlights were nine steals- nine steals– against the defending NBA champs.
That defensive potential is still there, even after multiple disappointing seasons overall. According to the Charlotte Hornets, he ranked 10th among all point guards in ESPN’s defensive real plus-minus last year.
There are a lot of caveats that come with that stat, but the truth remains that Carter-Williams could be an effective defender for the Rockets. At 6-foot-6 and with a 6-foot-seven wingspan, he has the length to switch on the perimeter and guard players at most positions.
He has good instincts when playing the passing lanes, and he averaged more than 1.5 steals per game in each of his first five seasons. For reference, only James Harden and Chris Paul averaged more for the Rockets last season, while Ariza had 1.5 per game and Mbah a Moute had less.
Now, steals obviously don’t tell the whole story. In fact, most defensive stats can’t truly capture how effective a defender someone is. But the Rockets clearly see something in Carter-Williams, and that coupled with his physical gifts could be a good sign for the upcoming season.
Offensively, he’ll be able to take a back seat. The Rockets already have plenty of offensive firepower, and Carter-Williams will most likely be deployed as an off-ball cutter and secondary playmaker.
While that offensive depth may help Carter-Williams, it can only do so if he gets on the court. The depth that Houston have means that he won’t be gifted minutes – he’ll have to prove his worth and force his way into the rotation.
With the team’s losses this offseason, though, there is a hole for him to fill. If he can do that, and fulfil his defensive potential, he might be able to keep his NBA career alive for more than just one more season.