On Thursday night, former Mountaineer Jevon Carter continued his impressive 2022-2023 season with a big performance in his hometown city. With an injury to Pat Connaughton, Carter was inserted back into the starting lineup where he has shined most of the season.
Against the Bulls, Carter played 32 minutes, which was second only to Brook Lopez’s 33 minutes. In those 32 minutes, Carter registered 22 points, six rebounds, and six assists, while shooting 9-for-13 from the field and 4-for-5 from three-point land, leading the Bucks to their 12th straight victory. Carter also connected on a first quarter three-pointer which helped two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo set the all-time assists record for the Milwuakee Bucks.
After the game, the TNT crew caught up with the WVU graduate and asked about his team during this hot stretch.
“Relentless,” Carter said after the win. “No matter what, we’re going to come and bring it, we’re going to give our best fight and we’re going to live with the results.”
This season has been a big one for Carter, who has found an important role with the Eastern Conference force. Carter is the only Milwaukee player to have played in all 57 games this season, and the Maywood, Illinois native has started in 31 of those games for the 41-17 Bucks.
While Carter has always brought his “relentless” mentality, defense, and effort to every team he has played for in the NBA, the former Mountaineer has really worked to improve his shooting to compete with the talents in the NBA. Carter is currently shooting 43.2% from the field this season, along with 41.7% from beyond the arc.
Carter has made 91 of his 218 three-point attempts, and of those who have shot at least 200 three-pointers this season, Carter ranks 12th in all of the league, behind names such as Stephen Curry, Damien Lillard, and Darius Garland.
During the pre-season, Carter spoke on what he worked on in the offseason to make him an important part of this team, whether it be in a starting role or coming off the bench.
“As far as what I’ve been working on… being another option for the guys,” Carter said. “Being able to have the ball in my hands, create for others, and create for myself as well.”
Carter has done just that in the 2022-2023 season, as the WVU product currently has a career-high average in points, assists, and rebounds, and with a star-studded team that features Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday, Carter’s confidence to shoot the ball has also gone up since adapting to Milwaukee.
“Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Khris [Middleton], Jrue [Holiday], they draw a lot of attention, so when we get the ball, you really got all day to line it up, so that’s just target practice,” Carter said. He then followed that up by chuckling and saying, “I want to be open, leave me please.”
West Virginia fans got a front row seat for four years to see Carter’s relentless style of play, and now that he has developed confidence and rhythm in his shot at the NBA level, all Mountaineer nation can do is sit back and smile when the success and results come Jevon’s way.
