The 2022-23 season has been a good one for Jevon Carter, to say the least.
The fifth-year pro played in every game but one, and started 39 contests this season for the Milwaukee Bucks. For context, Carter had never played in more than 66 regular season games, nor ever started in more than three, in any year since turning pro.
Carter became an integral part of Milwaukee’s rotation last year after being picked up by the team off the NBA waiver wire. He did enough in 2022 to earn a two-year contract with the Bucks during the offseason, and showed why he was worthy of the new deal in its first season.
The former Mountaineer averaged a career-high 8.0 points per game. His scoring average is the best by any WVU alum in a full NBA season since Jerry West averaged 20.3 points per contest for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1973-74 season, the final year of his career. He did all of this while finding his role early in the year, and then expanding his production even while coming off the bench.
Not only did Carter tally a career-high scoring average, but he also recorded career-best averages in minutes per game (22.3), shooting percentage (.423), 3-pointers per game (1.8), rebounds per game (2.5), and assists per game (2.4).
As you can see, the career highs have been plentiful. Among others, Carter netted a career-high 36 points in a double-overtime victory back in November. He set multiple personal bests in the contest, including points and shots made.
Carter scored more than double the number of points this year than he had previously scored in any other year of his pro career. He also nearly doubled his career-high in win shares, the basketball equivalent to WAR in baseball. Carter’s 3.5 win shares were better than that of Malik Monk (3.2), as well as all-stars Klay Thompson (3.1) and Russell Westbrook (1.9).
Of course, Carter is known for being a great defender. His 2.3 defensive win shares this year are tied for ninth-best in the league among players who appeared in at least 80 games this season.
Carter and the Bucks (58-24) played to the best record in the NBA this season, edging out Joe Mazzulla’s Boston Celtics for the top spot in the standings. Milwaukee, the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket, will take on the winner of the play-in tournament, beginning on April 16.
