4 Takeaways from Memphis Grizzlies’ 105-97 Loss to Houston Rockets
Jevon Carter Seized Opportunity
After going 28 games without checking in for the Memphis Grizzlies, rookie guard Jevon Carter make his season debut. The club finally unleashed their secret weapon, and he did damage to the Houston Rockets’ offense — Harden and Paul included.
It only took a few seconds for Carter to make his mark — a steal and ensuing foul drawn from Chris Paul. From fastbreaks, to dunks, to his patented turnaround mid-range jumper, the evening quickly became The Carter Show.
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Had the Grizzlies not dug themselves into a major first-half hole, their comeback attempt may have been successful. Mike Conley cut the deficit to as low as six points late in the fourth quarter, and a lot it has to do with Jevon Carter’s determined play — directly or indirectly. The rook was all over the floor in his 22 minutes of playing time.
Carter finished with 11 points (5/9 shooting), one rebound, two steals, and one block in that time span. He replaced Shelvin Mack in the lineup and accompanied Conley in Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff‘s favorite scheme of playing a dual point guard backcourt.
Mike Conley played very well with Jevon Carter, and it was nice to see because this is the team’s future, where as Mack is a stopgap veteran option for the 2018-19 season.
It is ridiculous that it took until the 29th game to finally insert Carter into the rotation, but after 22 minutes, he has likely earned a permanent spot with the Memphis Grizzlies, saying goodbye to his Memphis Hustle assignments. His energy is something that could have turned some of these recent losses to lesser teams into marks in the win column.