Sixers draft profile: Devin Carter is a hustling, do-it-all guard

Sixers draft profile: Devin Carter is a hustling, do-it-all guard originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

A scouting report on NBA draft prospect Devin Carter:

• Position: Guard 

• Height: 6-2.25 (without shoes)

• Weight: 193 pounds

• College: Providence

Strengths

Carter is the son of current Grizzlies assistant coach and former NBA point guard Anthony Carter. Unlike his father, Carter is set to be drafted. He may end up being a lottery pick following his outstanding results on the NBA draft combine’s athletic testing. Carter set a combine record on the three-quarter court sprint, ranked third among 2024 prospects in the lane agility drill, and tied for first with his 42-inch maximum vertical leap.

Those athletic tools all enhance Carter’s ball-hunting instincts and exceptional hustle. The 22-year-old has the closing speed to successfully jump passing lanes and the leaping ability and strength to beat larger players for rebounds. Carter’s length (wingspan of nearly 6-foot-9) and body control in tight spaces are also major assets. He enjoys bothering ball handlers, blocking jumpers, and generally being a defensive nuisance.

Carter won the Big East’s Player of the Year award for his extremely productive junior season. On top of averaging 19.7 points, 3.6 assists and 1.8 steals, he grabbed 8.7 rebounds per game. That sort of rebounding is clearly not common for a high-usage guard exerting so much energy on both ends of the floor.

Carter’s an aggressive player in transition who’s comfortable playing fast, keeping his head up, and finding open teammates. He’s also got a crafty game in the half court that includes tricky, unconventional footwork and finishing.

Weaknesses

Carter’s shooting can’t be considered a true weakness at this point. Providence needed him to be a high-volume outside shooter and he did that well, attempting 6.8 threes per game and knocking down 37.7 percent of them. He raised his three-point and free throw numbers for a second consecutive year.

Still, it’s worth noting that Carter shot 28.8 percent from long range over his first two college seasons and has a push shot sort of motion in the middle of his jumper. He’s shown he can hit tough, deep shots — and make significant improvements, too — but Carter doesn’t look the part of a great NBA three-point shooter.

Statistically, assist-to-turnover rate (3.6 assists/2.7 turnovers per game) is one of the few areas Carter didn’t shine. He can run pick-and-rolls and drive downhill, but Carter seems like he’ll be best playing off the ball a good amount in the NBA. It’s difficult to envision him becoming a pure, table-setting point guard.

Carter could be classified as slightly undersized for an NBA guard, although his length, defensive tenacity and rebounding talent are all promising traits to mitigate potential issues there. His combine measurements were just about identical to De’Anthony Melton’s back in 2018.

Fit

Even if Carter doesn't pan out as a shooter in the NBA, it’s easy to picture him contributing to playoff wins — pesky defense on the ball; chase-down blocks and vital rebounds; smart cuts and effective drives that relieve a little pressure from the stars.

If the Sixers keep their first-round pick and Carter is available at No. 16, he’d surely be on their radar. Based on how things are trending, he may very well be off the board by then.