Even though he's starting at the very bottom, it's pretty easy to think Devin Carter will be on the Boston Celtics opening night roster because his qualities as an offensive rebounder and disruptive defender (i.e., causing turnovers) should help him fit Mazzulla Ball like a glove. Unfortunately, Boston once had a player like him who didn't work out: Jaden Springer.
Springer was a former 76ers' lottery pick who was traded to Boston as a salary dump, though such a move angered the Sixers' fanbase because Springer had potential. His defense was already excellent to go with his fluid athleticism. His only problem was that he was offensively raw.
In all, Springer wasn't necessarily terrible with Boston, but he never quite figured it out. The real shame was that Sixers fans weren't wrong about his promise. His defense was excellent, but he never broke through under Mazzulla.
Carter's not the exact same player as Springer, but there are similarities. Carter's stature is a bit smaller than Springer's was, but both are impressively athletic for their limited size as players.
It's not like Boston will exert much pressure on Carter - they didn't with Springer - but the fact is, it was immediately known they were interested, which signals that they believe they could have something with him.
Carter could be fantastic depth piece Springer rarely was
Again, Springer had his standout moments, but they were few and far between despite the fact that Boston had to depend more on their depth when they defended their title because Jrue Holiday needed to be conserved. Springer never really made himself stand out, and then they salary -dumped him to Houston.
No one's saying history will repeat iself with Carter. In fact, what Boston sees in Carter, they may have seen in Springer. The big difference is that there's even less to lose if Carter doesn't work out, but if he does, well then that is fantastic.
Carter possesses the qualities that should make him a good fit for what Mazzulla wants from a guy like him. Because Boston will likely want to conserve some of their most important players, like Paul George and Mitchell Robinson, that opens the door for someone like Carter to prove himself.
It will be on him to prove it. Springer will be the bar for Carter to clear. If he can prove himself to do exactly as Mazzulla wants, he could be the player Boston had in mind with Springer back in 2024.
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