Anticipating that Devin Carter will turn out exactly like Alex Caruso is setting yourself up for disappointment. Caruso is a two-time NBA Champion who has established himself as one of the best defensive guards of his generation. However, we must remember that Carter not only has the makings of an elite defender, but, like Caruso once did, he'll have to work from the ground up.
It's not like Caruso immediately burst onto the scene when he first came into the NBA. He went undrafted in 2016, got cut by Oklahoma City (how's that for poetic irony?) before the 2016-17 season started, made the Los Angeles Lakers roster in 2017, and didn't really do much in his first two years besides his appearance reminding fans of Elmer Fudd in "Space Jam."
But that all changed his third season, when Caruso played an undeniable role in the Lakers getting their 17th titlen in 2020. The rest is history from there. As much as singling out the Lakers' success hurts, we must also remind everyone who big of a setback that they let him go the year after.
Carter is following a similar but not exact path
The emphasis is not on talking about how good Caruso is because everyone already knows a player isn't a two-time NBA Champion and a two-time NBA All-Defense recipient unless they have some modicum of talent. The point is to emphasize that it took Caruso a hot minute to become a known commodity in the NBA.
Carter can have a similar story, even as a former lottery pick. He is working from pretty much nothing to prove himself in Boston. Better yet, he wanted it this way when he had the chance to be traded elsewhere because he believes the Celtics are going to put him in a position to thrive.
Remember that Boston's interest in Carter was immediately known shortly after Atlanta waived him, meaning they, too, believe Carter is a perfect buy-low candidate.
Now, some will point out that Carter is offensively flawed. Well, so is Caruso. He's not a bad three-point shooter, but he's never been a knockdown guy. Yet that didn't stop Oklahoma City from playing him or paying him, because his overall impact still helps them win, regardless of whether he's hitting his shots or not.
Carter is on a training camp deal, but from the looks of it, unless he really stinks in training camp and/or the preseason, there's a strong possibility that he's going to take Boston's last two-way roster spot, which should pave the way for him to get minutes in baby steps that could ultimately lead to him getting a full-time deal.
If he's as good a fit as both he and Boston believe he is, this story could be very Caruso-like when it's all said and done.
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