© Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
Jevon Carter has big shoes to fill
The Chicago Bulls know the significance of having a legitimate point guard running the team. After all, it was not until Patrick Beverley's arrival to the Windy City right after the trade deadline that the Bulls began making their way toward the post-season. Before that, the Bulls were like a ship lost at sea, but Beverley stabilized the team, leading them to a 14-9 finish in the regular season before falling to the Miami Heat in the last game of the Play-in tournament.
The Bulls recognized this and acquired Jevon Carter, who is coming off a career-best season with the Milwaukee Bucks. Like Beverley, Carter is returning to his home state to play for the Bulls, and although coach Billy Donovan has yet to indicate whether the six-year-pro will start or not, he has big shoes to fill.
Beverley moving on to Philadelphia
Beverley has moved on to his next squad, the Philadelphia 76ers, signing a one-year contract to play with the league's reigning MVP, Joel Embiid. This created a vacuum for the Bulls, which Carter will hopfully to fill. The Bulls' two stars, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, are aware of what Beverley brought to the table, with the former saying:
"The man does everything. Electrifying, especially when we're at home. It gets the crowd going, and you've got to feed off of that when you see a guy sacrificing himself for big plays and to save a possession. It carries over from there," DeRozan said of what Beverley did during his time with the Bulls.
"You saw how much better we were after All-Star break when everyone had their solidified roles. Pat came in to play, a veteran point guard, an elite guard that's been in big games and big situations. And we thrived," added LaVine.
What Carter brings
With the Bulls' core returning, it means DeRozan and LaVine will handle much of the playmaking, pulling in the help defenders around the floor. This leaves Carter plenty of space to shoot from behind the arc, something he's very good at, as he shot 42 percent this past season, unlike Beverley, who made just 30 percent of his three-pointers during his brief time with the Bulls.
Like Beverley, though, Carter brings a bulldog-like mentality on defense and can pressure opposing guards. He's a pest and will not make things easy for his opponents.
