Houston schedules meeting with Rookie of the Year… Michael Carter-Williams
Houston just kicked over the rock Michael Carter-Williams has been under, as he’s set to meet with the Houston Rockets.
It seems like a lot longer ago, but it was only 2014 when Michael Carter-Williams averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game on his way to winning Rookie of the Year for the Philadelphia 76ers. He did not see “The Process” to anywhere near the end though, as he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in the middle of the following season.
Carter-Williams has become something of a journeyman, spending the last three full seasons with the Bucks, the Chicago Bulls and the Charlotte Hornets respectively. He has averaged 50 games played per season over that span, and his career-worst 2017-18 campaign with Charlotte ended with surgery on his left shoulder in March.
Carter-Williams is a free agent now, and he reportedly has a meeting set up with a very unexpected team.
Houston Rockets officials have a meeting set up today with Michael Carter-Williams, league sources say.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) July 1, 2018
The Rockets just re-upped with Chris Paul on a huge contract, and their trip into luxury tax territory this offseason is confirmed. So finding cheap options to fill out the rest of the roster will be necessary, but Carter-Williams is not a good fit on the surface.
The former Rookie of the Year notably lacks proficiency from beyond the arc, with a career mark of 25 percent and a career-best of 27.3 percent with the Bucks in 2015-16. Perhaps to his credit, or urging from elsewhere, he has reduce his volume from three-point range. After a high of three attempts per game as a rookie, Carter-Williams launched from beyond the arc just over one time per game last year.
The Rockets shoot more three-pointers than anyone in the league, plain and simple. They did so by a fairly substantial margin last season, as their 42.3 attempts per game were nearly seven clear of the second place Brooklyn Nets (35.7 per game).
The Rockets may not see a need for another capable shooter, even after losing Trevor Ariza in free agency. Ariza fully embraced his role in Houston, averaging 6.9 three-point attempts per game in each of the last two seasons, so the void he’s leaving should not be overlooked.
Next: 5 teams who may sign Dwight Howard
Carter-Williams would not have a huge role in the Houston backcourt, barring injuries that would take Paul and James Harden out of the lineup at the same time. But perhaps they think they can do what others have failed to accomplish, and unlock something in Carter-Williams as a three-point shooter.