Kevin Stacom: Devin Carter’s Trending for the Upcoming NBA Draft

Kevin Stacom: Devin Carter’s Trending for the Upcoming NBA Draft

With the NBA Draft only a little more than a week away (they are now making it a 2-day affair on June 26 and June 27), I thought it might be timely to give an update on a more specific approximation of where Devin Carter has positioned himself for this all-important day in his life.          

 

Back on April 16th, I closed my evaluation of Devin’s draft prospects with:             

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“A lot can happen between now and the draft on June 26 and 27th. The general consensus is that this is a weak draft…. Still, my best guess is that Carter’s draft range is between mid-teens and the mid-twenties in the 1st round-NBA body, NBA athlete, improving offensive skills, instant defensive factor.”                

 

Well, I guess a lot has happened since April 16th. The most important thing was the recent pre-draft camp in Chicago, which took place May 12-19th. 78 players were invited. Not all chose to participate in the scrimmages, but all attendees are required to undergo medical and athletic testing evaluations, along with a certain number of individual interviews with prospective teams.                

 

Since Carter was, I believe, unjustly denied the further exposure of participating in the NCAA tournament, where many top players can solidify their status as NBA prospects, this combine was a crucial exhibition for him to make an impression on just about every General Manager, scout, and coach in the league.

 

"He Crushed It"                 

By all reports and speaking with people who were there, it appears he made the most of his opportunity. To put it bluntly- he crushed it. 

Recap of his junior year statistics at PC:

 

19.7 pts, 8.5 Rebounds, 3.6 assists,1.8 steals

         

What appears to have happened in Chicago and in subsequent workouts with individual teams is he was able to numerically quantify his superior athletic abilities into objective numbers, which, when layered on top of his impressive junior year stats, have realistically gotten the attention of teams well into the lottery (top 14 teams in the draft).            

 

Basically, they put all prospects through a series of drills that seek to measure their athletic aptitude in terms of raw speed, jumping ability, lateral movement, and the ability to quickly change direction in both offensive and defensive situations. 

                 

Here are a few of the key drills where Carter excelled:

#1- He set a record since the inception of the combine in the 3/4 court sprint (2.87 seconds)!!

#2- Standing Vertical Leap:

Tied with two other players Adam Bona, and Oso Ighodaro for 1st at 35”

#3- Max Vertical Leap ( where you’re allowed to step into the jump):

Tied for 1st again with three other players at 42”

#4- Lane Agility (basically laterally moving backward and forwards within the confines of the lane area)

Tied for 3rd

Mindful, this is competing against all 78 players at the combine.

             

What his measurable athletic display did was give courage to those crucial evaluators who get a little timid in their analysis when a player such as Carter does not neatly fit into a prototype or mold that they are accustomed to - is he a point? is he a off the ball guard?,etc. His performance did a lot to solidify his status in this draft since now they had something more definite and tangible on which to hang the obvious level of intangibles he brings to the game.              

The other factor about this draft that helped Carter’s potential rise is that it is, as mentioned, a weak draft- and he was able to take full advantage of it. This is because even in a weak draft, there are still a ton of expectations from ownership, fans, and the media. You’re typically in the lottery for a reason- you desperately need an infusion of talent to improve your team. The number one thing you must avoid is to choose a player that fails. That can cost you your job.

           

Here is where Carter offers a viable option- he will not fail. So as you get to the 2nd half of the lottery- from 7-14, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was in play. I spoke to a friend of mine whose team sits at #6 (Charlotte) and he thinks that is probably a bit high for them, but starting with San Antonio’s 2nd lottery pick at #8, it’s a possibility. And then there are strong rumors that Chicago is at play at #11 (I’m sure Billy Donovan is aware of him), or could old friend Danny Ainge get involved even at # 10 with Utah (Having drafted Marcus Smart with a similar heart). 

               

Obviously, this is all conjecture, but there’s little doubt that Carter is trending in the right direction at the right time. As my former boss, Mark Cuban was wont to say, “The draft is more of an art form than a science,” which, of course, adds to its unpredictability.

               

Carter has a chance to be the 1st PC player to be drafted in eight years and higher than most people would have predicted a few short months ago. The great thing is he earned it the old-fashioned way - desire and hard work - and will be an easy person to root for as his career unfolds for that reason.