Charlotte is an Ideal Fit for Jevon Carter

Heading into free agency the one thing the Charlotte Hornets must address is the backup point guard position.

LaMelo Ball played in just 36 games this past season and when he was out of the lineup, the Hornets' were no where near as competitive.

The other day, I mentioned Seth Curry as a potential fit with the Hornets. Today, I'm suggesting Jevon Carter, who will come at a much cheaper price which is right up Mitch Kupchak's alley.

Carter doesn't pack the same punch offensively as Curry but he does bring a defensive presence that neither Curry or any current member of the Hornets' backcourt possesses. He'll press his man full court and will pressure the ball, asserting himself as a menace.

Carter was a two-time National Defensive Player of the Year while at West Virginia and set a program record 330 steals from 2015-18. Averaging 2.3 steals per game is quite the feat. Doing that in the NBA is almost unheard of, so naturally those numbers were always going to drop once he reached this level. However, Carter is averaging 0.6 steals per contest for his career in an average of 16 minutes per game.

This past season with the Bucks, he saw an increase in playing time, putting up nearly a steal every 22.3 minutes/game. But his defensive pressure goes far beyond racking up steals. He forces bad passes which may not lead to a turnover initially but could result in a bad shot or a deflection.

The Hornets could re-sign Dennis Smith Jr. but if they truly want someone who places a lot of value on the defensive end of the floor to fit Steve Clifford's philosophy, Carter makes the most sense.

But don't sleep on JC's offensive game either. He's a career 39.7% shooter from downtown and shoots it 81% from the charity stripe, both much higher than Dennis Smith, who's numbers are 29% and 66% respectively.

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