Michael Carter-Williams Named NBA ROY

Not much went right for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2013-14 NBA season. Despite a season in which the team was openly tanking to earn a top pick for the 2014 NBA Draft, though, some good news did exist: rookie point guard Michael Carter-Williams earned Rookie of the Year honors.

MCW didn’t face much stiff competition as a rookie, clearly operating as the most versatile rookie player in the league, making an impact as a scorer, passer and defensive asset. His Sixers teams was best known for an epic losing streak near the end of the year, as well as their depleted roster, but Carter-Williams did an excellent job putting up quality numbers despite the problems surrounding him.

Carter-Williams even dealt with soreness and swelling in his knee during the season, yet impressively missed just 12 games on the year. While most rookies hit “the rookie wall” in their first year, due to the college basketball season having 40-50 less games on average, MCW powered through and finished with several strong games. MCW eve played 34 minutes in the season finale against the Heat in Miami, as the Sixers earned an unlikely win against the defending champs to close out an otherwise brutal season on a high note.

MCW became the first player (and second player ever) since Los Angeles Lakers’ phenom Magic Johnson to compile averages of 16 points, six assists, six rebounds and 1.9 steals per game in his rookie season. Carter-Williams’ official season-ending numbers were a very impressive 16.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

While his bulky knee was a problem for him at times, MCW still kept his play at a high level. However, his biggest enemy throughout the year was probably the lack of talent around him on his roster. Philly traded away most of their talent mid-way through the season, leaving the Sixers’ roster quite bare. MCW was forced to try to produce and win games with no-name players, yet found a way to carry his team to some wins, while putting up very solid numbers.

Just 22 years old, the raw Syracuse product’s main issues to improve upon going into the 2014-15 NBA season will be efficiency, shot selection, defense and decision-making. He already has elite size at 6’7” to be a one of a kind point guard, but will need to properly utilize his length and athleticism to defend better, while also using his passing and vision to set his teammates up better than he already has.

A solid shooter, MCW should see a jump in shooting percentage in year two if he can manage to take better shots and get some extra help, which should help him to not force offense when his shot isn’t falling.