For a training camp invite, Devin Carter has gotten quite a bit of buzz since joining the Boston Celtics. Maybe it's because he's a former lottery pick, or maybe it's because he's the perfect project for Joe Mazzulla. Regardless, it was immediately clear that Carter sees the Celtics as the team that can help him reach his potential.
If he didn't, he wouldn't have taken the lowest possible contract that gives him the most to prove after getting waived. We just got our most recent development on the Carter story, as he revealed during Celtics Media Day that he is taking the No. 99 in honor of Celtics alum Jae Crowder.
Crowder caught wind of this, and even gave Carter his stamp of approval to wear his 99 via his personal X account.
For the record, this isn't necessarily about their Boston connection, but more about the fact that they were teammates in Carter's rookie season just as Crowder's NBA career had reached it's tail end. It's been almost a decade since Crowder last donned Celtics green, but he had a memorable two years as a Celtic.
Crowder became an awesome story in Boston
Crowder's start in Boston wasn't exactly the same as Carter, but there were definitely some simlarities with how they got started. Crowder was originally a throw-in when Boston got him in the Rajon Rondo trade in 2014. The fact that they soon traded Brandan Wright and Jameer Nelson loanded credence to the narrative that Crowder wouldn't be a Celtic for long.
But over time, it became clear that Crowder was more talented than initially thought. A star, he was not, but Crowder in due time proved through his grit, energy, and his two-way abilities that he was better than anyone thought he was. At his peak, he became a starter for a Celtics team that made the Eastern Conference Finals.
He had proven in Dallas that there was some talent, but they never saw it through. In Boston, Crowder was one of Brad Stevens' most impressive player development stories, as he turned himself into one of the NBA's premier 3&D wings. Making it even better is that even though his career lasted several more years, he never quite reached the same level he did as a Celtic.
Devin Carter could have Jae Crowder-like rise
Carter signed with Boston (and they wanted him) because he believes they're going to figure him out as a player. Crowder technically didn't have the choice, but Boston was the one who gave him a long enough leash for him to prove he truly was an NBA player.
Carter may not necessarily rise to the same level Crowder once did - it helped the latter that there wasn't really much competition at the wing spot until a certain lottery pick and future Celtics superstar joined the team in 2016 - but narratively, it could be special to see Carter prove why he was a lottery pick two years ago.
Crowder helped keep Celtics mystique alive when many thought it was dead after the Rondo trade. Carter won't be tasked to do the same thing, but if Boston gets a Crowder-like player in him, it's not only another winning player on their roster, but one that gets them closer to Banner 19.
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