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What Does Jevon Carter's Future in Phoenix Hold?

The Suns continue to keep their best defender restricted to limited minutes

Jevon Carter is trucking through the mid-way point of his sophomore season in the NBA. At age 24, Carter has shown the potential of being a long-term role player in this league. From swiping the ball away from former MVP James Harden to knocking down shots on the other end, Carter has provided excitement around the Phoenix Suns organization.  

In a year where minutes have been restricted due to various point guards being either more experienced or simply more developed, Carter has still created an impressive sophomore campaign.  

No, his basic averages of 3.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg, and 1.4 apg, don't stand out.  However, Carter has recorded a steal in half of his 31 games played. In those 31 games, Carter has recorded three steals, three different times.   

The jury is still out on whether or not Carter will configure an offensive game, but several players of the past have proved that you can be a lockdown defender and hold a pivotal role in this league. Bruce Bowen, Tony Allen, Pat Beverely, Dennis Rodman, etc.  

The jury is in, however, on the fact that the NBA holds value around lock-down defenders, just look at Andre Roberson in Oklahoma City. When healthy, Roberson elevated that Thunder team to a championship level, when he got hurt, those title hopes plummeted down the drain.  

For the sake of seeing Carter thrive in the NBA, he needs out of Phoenix. A guy with such a unique brand of basketball will be overlooked on a losing team. It just isn't fathomable to tell Carter to go out and just play hard defense on a losing team. In an organization like the Suns, they aren't going to conform to the roles of the players they have around them. That is why the Suns are currently 19-27 and not really in the playoff picture.

However, if Carter was to be traded to the Milwaukee Bucks and told him to "lock-down" the opposing team's best guard, it's a fact that he will impact that player's performance in a negative manner.  

It's not really a knock on Carter, but his offensive game isn't exactly NBA material, yet. Yes, he can hit shots, but when it matters most, the game is a little bit fast for him on the offensive end. That's why Carter has molded his game on the defensive end. He knows that is the best part of his game.  

While Carter's future in Phoenix is still unclear, the second-year guard out of West Virginia will make an impact in this league, it's just going to take the right organization to see this hidden treasures worth.  

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