Rockets load up in the West, too, with…Michael Carter-Williams
By Jason Patt
Former Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams will try to turn his career around with the Houston Rockets.
The Golden State Warriors took the NBA world by storm by agreeing to a deal with DeMarcus Cousins on Monday, so the Houston Rockets clearly had to do something to respond.
The Rockets’ attempt at doing just that is adding former Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams. The deal is for one year at the minimum, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Carter-Williams has bounced around the league after winning the 2014 Rookie of the Year award with the Philadelphia 76ers, spending time with the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets. He suffered through a disastrous 2017-18 season with the Hornets, a year in which he shot 33.2 percent from the field and suffered a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery.
Carter-Williams’ skillset is an odd choice for the Rockets’ 3-point heavy system. He shot 23.7 percent from long range last year and is at 25 percent for his career. He might just be the worst 3-point shooting guard in the league.
Houston is likely hoping the 26-year-old can use his 6-foot-6 frame to be a disruptive defensive presence to help replace the loss of key wing defender Trevor Ariza to the Phoenix Suns. And while Carter-Williams is a horrific shooter, perhaps he can take advantage of the space in the Rockets’ system and create more open looks for others or convert on driving opportunities at the rim.
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This may be wishful thinking, though, given how ineffective Carter-Williams has been the last few seasons. It certainly isn’t an inspiring move to counter the Warriors, and Houston still has work to do this offseason. The Clint Capela situation needs to be sorted out, and it’s unclear if Luc Mbah a Moute will return as the Rockets look to fill out the rest of their roster.