An offseason of intense work helped Jevon Carter win a spot in the Bucks‘ starting lineup, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. With Khris Middleton still recovering from offseason wrist surgery, there was an opportunity for Carter heading into training camp and he was ready to take advantage of it.
“That was on my mind all summer, to come in and prove that I’m more than what I’m looked as,” Carter said. “Just seeing it pay off is a hell of a feeling. I can’t even really describe it. I had a goal and I exceeded those goals, you know what I’m saying? It’s just a credit to the work that I put in.”
The Bucks signed Carter after he was waived by the Nets in late February, and he had the most productive stretch of his career over the final 20 games of the season, shooting 50.6% from the field and 55.8% on three-pointers. That success, and the opportunity to play for a title contender, convinced him to accept a new one-year contract with Milwaukee over the summer.
“Give yourself a new goal, new challenge,” he said. “This my fifth year going into the league, I still haven’t done what I want to do, what’s comfortable for Jevon Carter. Until I get to that point, which I don’t think I ever will, I’m going to keep fighting and grinding.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Pacers center Myles Turner is ready to make his season debut tonight, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Turner, who missed the team’s first four games with a sprained left ankle he suffered on opening night, will play against the Bulls as long as he doesn’t experience any setbacks during warm-ups.
- The Sixers waived Trevelin Queen a week before the roster deadline, giving him extra time to catch on with another team, notes Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (subscription required). The 25-year-old combo guard wound up landing a two-way contract with the Pacers. “I just feel like they really want me here compared to a lot of other situations I was in,” Queen said. “It was a warm welcoming. “I looked at it as a young group of guys, a lot of opportunity and a lot of potential. It’s like a rebuilding process, coach said. So just coming here and taking advantage of the opportunity given. Whether I play or not, I just feel like it’s a great environment, a great culture, a great development staff. They’ve shown me nothing but love.”
- Nerlens Noel hasn’t been through a full practice yet, but Pistons coach Dwane Casey believes the veteran center can play a few minutes on Wednesday if necessary, tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.