Can Jason Kidd Turn Michael Carter-Williams into a Stud NBA Point Guard?
The Philadelphia 76ers gave Michael Carter-Williams the number of opportunities needed to capture last season's Rookie of the Year award. The Milwaukee Bucks, and more specifically head coach Jason Kidd, can offer Carter-Williams the developmental tools to become an upper-echelon NBA point guard.
It'll be substance over statistics, quality over quantity. Grabbing a young, cost-effective prospect such as Carter-Williams is a good get for Milwaukee, but the move will be even more beneficial to the fledgling floor general.
Moments before Thursday's trade deadline, Milwaukee landed Carter-Williams, Miles Plumlee and Tyler Ennis in a three-team trade that sent former Bucks starting point guard Brandon Knight to the Phoenix Suns. Despite having already doubled last season's win total and moved into the Eastern Conference's No. 6 seed, the Bucks kept both eyes firmly affixed on the future.
In doing so, they not only improved their economic books—Knight will be a restricted free agent at season's end, while Carter-Williams' rookie deal runs through 2016-17—but also grabbed a lead guard who fits perfectly in Milwaukee's long, athletic blueprint.
"We're excited about having a player who was last year's Rookie of the Year," Bucks general manager John Hammond said, per Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He brings great size to the point guard position and will continue to improve under the tutelage of Jason Kidd."
Carter-Williams couldn't have found a better mentor than Kidd. At the 2013 draft combine, Carter-Williams told DraftExpress' Jonathan Givony he patterned his game after that of his new head coach:
The resemblance between the two is uncanny, as Hall of Famer Magic Johnson observed:
Using Kidd as a benchmark for anyone as green as Carter-Williams seems grossly unfair.
The latter hasn't completed his sophomore season. The former is a lock for the Hall of Fame, having earned 10 All-Star selections and finished his playing days sitting second on the league's all-time leaderboard in assists (12,091) and steals (2,684).
Comparing the two bodies of work shows the canyon that sits between Carter-Williams and Kidd. But if you narrow the focus to their first two seasons in the league, as Bleacher Report's Kelly Scaletta did, the similarities are striking:
Suiting up for the loss-column-embracing Sixers made Carter-Williams' stat sheet a bastion for deception.
Philly played at breakneck speed, leading the league in pace last season and running with the sixth-fastest tempo this time around. While that boosted Carter-Williams' counting categories, it ravaged his efficiency.
On the plus side, he is one of only two players averaging at least 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds. But he also has the second-highest turnover average (4.2 per game) and worst true shooting percentage among the 35 players averaging at least 14 field-goal attempts (44.4).
His turnover numbers could improve immediately in Milwaukee. The Bucks play at a more controlled rate (14th in pace) and have more scoring options around him.
That should allow Carter-Williams to get back to his natural game, one that prioritizes passing and decreases his involvement as a scorer.
"It's a dream scenario for MCW, whose move to greener pastures should allow him to do what he's always wanted to do—shoot less, pass more, and finally play NBA games that matter," wrote Brew Hoop's Frank Madden.
Like his new coach, Carter-Williams can overstuff the box score. He's had three triple-doubles already this season, most recently overwhelming the Minnesota Timberwolves with 17 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds on Jan. 30.
However, there is one obvious stain on Carter-Williams' resume that moving to Milwaukee won't automatically clean up.
He has struggled mightily to find any consistency away from the basket. He's shooting a miserable 27.2 percent on shots outside of three feet, an area where he converted only 32.9 percent of his attempts last season.
That problem has to be corrected. But if anyone knows how to fix a broken jump shot, it just might be Kidd.
SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell explained:
"For the first few years of his career, Kidd picked up an unflattering nickname: Ason Kidd, because he had no J. By the end of his playing days, Kidd was a knockdown shooter and is now No. 5 on the NBA's all-time list of three-pointers made. That's the type of transformation Carter-Williams needs to make. The master has found his apprentice.
"
At the very least, Kidd knows this isn't a hopeless pursuit. Not every bad shooter becomes a good one, but it's possible to shed that label.
The Bucks have time to work with Carter-Williams on that issue. But he can play an impact role out of the gate thanks to the other abilities he'll bring.
At 6'6" with a 6'7.25" wingspan (per DraftExpress), his combination of size and length can terrorize opposing point guards at the defensive end. The Sixers were 7.2 points per 100 possessions better defensively with him on the floor, and his individual numbers on that side of the ball could be even more impressive.
| Overall | 44.1 | 39.7 | Minus-4.4 |
| 3P Field Goals | 35.6 | 28.9 | Minus-6.7 |
| 2P Field Goals | 48.1 | 45.7 | Minus-2.4 |
| Less Than 6 Ft. | 59.2 | 57.7 | Minus-1.4 |
| Less Than 10 Ft. | 53.5 | 49.3 | Minus-4.2 |
| Greater Than 15 Ft. | 37.6 | 32.4 | Minus-5.2 |
Carter-Williams ranks second among point guards in ESPN.com's defensive real plus-minus. He's held his opponents to a 12.7 player efficiency rating, which ranks well below the league average of 15, per 82games.com.
More importantly, he fits the athletic profile of Milwaukee's versatile defense, a unit that ranks as the NBA's second best in efficiency after grading out as its second worst just last season.
The Bucks have some rim protection in the paint, but the real key behind their success is their flexibility on the perimeter. With Giannis Antetokounmpo (6'11"), Khris Middleton (6'7"), Jared Dudley (6'7") and, when he's healthy, Jabari Parker (6'8"), Milwaukee is building a roster of defenders all capable of guarding multiple positions.
The lanky Carter-Williams could be the perfect player at the point of the attack. He's reportedly been on Kidd's radar for quite some time, per Comcast SportsNet's Dei Lynam:
Kidd has proved two things during his first season with Milwaukee: He knows what he wants from his players, and he understands how to bring the best out of them. His insight can be invaluable to a young point guard, and it's hard not to notice his fingerprints on Knight's development.
The former lottery pick posted career marks in assists (5.4), boards (4.3), field-goal percentage (43.5), three-point percentage (40.9) and PER (18.5) under Kidd. Knight credited his old coach with helping him develop both on and off the court.
"Coach Kidd shows me a lot of things, not just in basketball, but things like talking with guys and attitudes and stuff like that," Knight said, per Basketball Insiders' Susan Bible. "It’s just a lot of things that other coaches wouldn’t really teach you."
Carter-Williams has so much still to learn, but his future looks blindingly bright with the Bucks. There's a ceiling on how high he can climb without a serviceable shooting stroke, but he could shatter it if he ever finds one.
There are no guarantees these transactions work as well in practice as they do on paper. However, it's hard not to get excited about what Carter-Williams can become with Kidd as his tutor.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
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