Possession-maxing has been a buzzword among the Boston Celtics' fanbase this summer. It all started when the franchise signed Mitchell Robinson in free agency, giving them one of the best offensive rebounding frontcourts in the NBA. The notion of possession maxing is simple: win the possession battle game to game and maximize those possessions to the best of your ability.
On Monday, September 14, the Celtics reportedly inked Devin Carter to a training camp deal. Carter, 24, is a former lottery pick, having been selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 13th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. While Carter joins the Celtics with significant questions about his ability to both shoot and score, there is one aspect of his game that already fits the Celtics perfectly:
he plays possession-maxing basketball. And it's that skill that could see him secure Boston's final two-way roster spot.
According to Crafted NBA, Carter thrived in multiple possession-maxing categories last season. He ranked in the 83rd percentile among guards for offensive rebounding and the 78th percentile for free-throw rate, while also averaging 3.6 deflections per 36 minutes. Furthermore, Cleaning The Glass tracked Carter as registering a steal on 2.1% of his non-garbage time defensive possessions, ranking him in the 84th percentile amongst guards.
Carter may not be an offensive engine or high-level playmaker, but he does play hard, gritty basketball, and that is something Brad Stevens is known to admire.
So, if Carter does enough during training camp to earn a longer stay with the Celtics, we can rest easy knowing that his core skill set fits the blueprint for the upcoming season, even if that means he won't be putting up many points in the process.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Devin Carter could fit into the Celtics' possession-maxing blueprint
