Raptors Draft Watch: Devin Carter’s Two-Way Impact

Devin Carter’s penchant for making winning plays is something that’s missing for the Raptors. He would be a welcome addition. The problem? His stock is on the rise.

The NBA draft is fast approaching now, and who the Toronto Raptors may take with the 19th overall pick is still up in the air. As draft mocks shift as teams get looks at players, one interesting prospect is Devin Carter out of Providence.

The one issue is that Carter’s draft stock may be rising higher than the Raptors’ 19th pick.

Why Devin?

Well, he’s the son of another former Raptors legend, Anthony Carter, who made Toronto his last stop as an NBA player.

If that’s not enough, how about this: Devin Carter is the Big East Player of the Year, beating the players on the stacked UConn team like Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle, both players ranked ahead of him on draft boards right now.

In Carter, you’re getting a prospect that will play hard defensively, make effort and hustle plays, put pressure at the rim, get to the line, and perhaps, hit his perimeter shot. He’s one of those players that you would feel their presence on both ends of the floor, with or without the ball.

Carter’s growth was expedited when the team lost star player Bryce Hopkins, leading to the team relying on Carter a whole lot more for offense.

And boy, did he take full advantage of all the available shots.

Despite not getting invited to the big dance, Carter had a breakout Junior year at Providence, scoring 19.7 points, 8.7 boards, 3.6 assists, and 2.8 stocks. Since entering college, he’s had exponential growth not just in scoring but in doing many things to affect the game.

Carter embraced the team’s go-to guy role and played big against the three Big East teams in March Madness, including the eventual champs, the UConn Huskies. He put up 23.3 points, 9.6 boards, 4.1 assists, and 2.4 stocks while shooting 41.4% from behind the arc on 7.3 attempts AND pretty much played the entire game.

Carter is a bit of an undersized guard, measuring at the NBA Draft Combine at 6’2.25” without shoes but with a massive 6’8.75” wingspan. That’s a +6.5” wingspan, Mr. President Masai Ujiri 😉 Despite falling on the shorter side as a guard, Carter is physical. He absorbs contact pretty well, which should help him transition once he moves up to the big league.

Mock Drafts

Devin Carter’s stock is on the rise lately, with an average of 14.43 across 14 mock drafts listed below, compared to 16.79 two weeks ago. Per The Ringer’s Kevin O’Draft, he received a promise somewhere in the lottery.

• ESPN: 12 (Thunder)
• NBADraft.NET: 20 (Cavs)
• Tankathon: 19 (Raptors)
• The Ringer: 11 (Bulls)
• No Ceilings: 15 (Heat)
• NBA Draft Room: 13 (Kings)
• The Athletic: 15 (Heat)
• Bleacher Report: 13 (Kings)
• College Sports Wire: 15 (Heat)
• SB Nation: 15 (Heat)
• CBS (Boone): 12 (Thunder)
• CBS (Parrish): 17 (Lakers)
• CBS (Finkelstein): 17 (Lakers)
• CBS (Cobb): 8 (Spurs)

Areas of Concern

Despite a banner Junior season, Devin Carter’s draft profile comes with some legitimate concerns:

Size: At the NBA combine, Carter measured at just 6’2.25” without shoes, which is fine if he can play the point or as a combo guard. He does play bigger than his size, and his physicality, length, and athleticism should allow him to compete against most back-courts and smaller forwards. However, he would have to show that the offence and playmaking he displayed as a Junior was not a one-season wonder and that it would translate at the next stage. Finding minutes for him in the backcourt is challenging.

For Reference:

• Devin Carter: 6’2.25” HT, 6’8.75” WS
• DeAnthony Melton: 6’2.25” HT, 6’8.5” WS
• Cason Wallace: 6’2.5” HT, 6’8.5” WS
• Bruce Brown: 6’3.5” HT, 6’9” WS
• Javon Freeman-Liberty 6’3” HT, 6’9” WS

Shooting: Carter’s shooting form isn’t pretty, and he could use a couple of major tweaks to help him get his shot off much smoother and more quickly at the NBA level. Counterargument: it goes in. Does it have a hitch? Yes, but the NBA has a good history of shooters with unconventional shooting forms. The question is whether Carter can consistently knock down his shots at the next level, especially if he touches the leather infrequently and/or has significantly fewer touches. Carter’s reliance on his three-point shooting (he shot at at least half or more FGAs from behind the arc in 15 out of 33 games last season) is probably Carter’s swing skill, as his defense will probably get him early looks, but providing off-ball scoring punch will dictate how long he can stay on the court, at least initially.

Guard play: Defensively, Carter should be able to share a 2-PG backcourt in spurts. However, as a guard at the next level, he must show that he can transition on/off the ball and create an advantage for himself and/or his teammates. It may be because of his situation, but looking like a shoot-first guard is a byproduct of being their team’s 1st, 2nd, and 3rd option. He’s displayed some facilitation skills as a ball handler but less as a table setter.

Bag: Carter’s “bag” relative to his advantage creation is a bit due to a few factors. His handle, while tight enough for a guard, does not get leveraged enough to gain that angle or half-step advantage to get past his defender. He’s much more reliant on strength, footwork, and reading his defender. Carter might be much more explosive as a jumper with a decent runway than his acceleration with the ball, especially when turning corners. He’s had issues shaking off his defenders, and he would often rely on converting that possession into a post-up to leverage his footwork.

Raptors Fit

At the 19th spot, it’s really tempting to select an unknown. A prospect that has a potentially lottery-type ceiling but could be two years away from being two years away, that is, if they pan out. This is the Aleksej Pokusevski range of drafts that are not deep in high-level talent, where the talent level at the range won’t blow you away. The talent pool at this range is flat, and nobody sets them apart, making it justifiable to take big swings at this spot.

In a way, the Raptors have done that for the most part over the last few seasons, but in the late 1st up to the second round, which is perfectly fine. Unfortunately, none of these selections have panned out for the Raptors for various factors. In fact, the last non-lottery draft pick that panned out for the Raptors was OG Anunoby, who was selected 23rd seven years ago.

Seven years ago. Man, that’s a long time ago.

Perhaps, instead of going for a home run, the Raptors should get a “single” and see if you can turn that into a “double.” In Devin Carter, the Raptors are getting a rookie who should be able to find his way into this team’s rotation, especially should they decide to move on from Gary Trent Jr. and Bruce Brown. Carter is fully aware that he’ll need to be a role player at the next level to get his career started, and his impressive athletic combine numbers with a 42” max vertical leap and a 35” standing vertical leap, which is tied with two other centres who are both at least 7 inches taller than him. He also fared well in the Lane Agility (3rd) and 3/4 sprint (1st). Those are encouraging numbers from a guy who makes energy, hustle, and effort plays.

In a way, he’s a cheaper version of Bruce Brown. We’re not entirely sure what Brown’s position is on the court technically, but he does many things that impact winning. Carter is a guard. While not a point guard and undersized to play shooting guard, he can be a solid role player with an upside to being productive in many different ways, especially if the swing skills he’s improved on as a Junior translate into the NBA.

Carter’s work on both ends of the floor, especially his hustle and rebounding, will make him an instant fan favourite. At the NBA level, he’s probably not expected to put up 20 points per game, nor will he get the same touches that he enjoyed at Providence. At the very least, he’s got the chance to be the team’s best perimeter defender. However, Carter could develop into a glue guy and a difference-maker type of player. Perhaps, if he’s got a gear or two developmentally, he can be more than that, as he’s got the strength and mentality to take (and make) tough shots.