Devin Carter hasn't seen much of the floor this season for the Sacramento Kings, but last night against the Grizzlies, he finally got an extended look-and made the most of it, at least in most areas. In nearly 24 minutes of action, his longest outing of the season, Carter flashed the kind of all-around game that reminds you why the Kings drafted him in the first place. But there’s one glaring issue he couldn’t shake: the three-point shot.
Let’s start with the positives. Carter finished with 10 points, six rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block.
That’s a well-rounded stat line for a second-year guard trying to carve out a role on a crowded roster. He was active on both ends, showing some real defensive instincts and a willingness to crash the boards.
Offensively, he didn’t force things-except, unfortunately, from beyond the arc.
The three-point line was not his friend. Carter went 0-for-6 from deep, and it wasn’t just a cold streak-it was a full-on freeze.
That’s the kind of shooting night that can overshadow everything else, especially in today’s NBA where floor spacing and perimeter shooting are practically prerequisites for guards. But here’s the kicker: if you take away the threes, Carter actually went five-for-six from the field.
That’s 83.3% on non-threes, showing he was highly efficient when attacking the rim or working inside the arc.
So what does that tell us? Carter doesn’t need to be a volume three-point shooter to be effective.
He’s got the tools to contribute in other ways-slashing, facilitating, defending. But when he leans too heavily into the deep ball, especially on a night when it’s clearly not falling, it can derail an otherwise solid performance.
This is part of the learning curve for a young guard trying to find his place. Carter’s in a tough spot on a Kings roster that’s heavy at the one and two.
With a logjam of guards and this year’s rookies making strong impressions, minutes are hard to come by. Every opportunity counts, and Carter knows it.
He’s still on a rookie deal with two team-option years left-nothing is guaranteed beyond that.
But performances like last night, minus the cold shooting, are encouraging. He showed he can impact the game in multiple ways, and that’s what coaches want to see.
The key now is consistency-and smarter shot selection. If Carter can lean into what’s working and cut down on the low-percentage looks, he might just start earning more of those precious minutes.
The Kings are still figuring out their long-term backcourt rotation, and Carter has a chance-albeit a narrow one-to be part of that picture. Nights like this one are a step in the right direction, but in a league that doesn’t wait around, he’ll need to keep stacking those steps quickly.