Philadelphia 76ers point guard, Michael Carter-Williams, is now well into his second season and the celebration of his Rookie of the Year campaign is no more. After missing the first seven games of the season due to a shoulder surgery he was recovering from, MCW has seen his struggles out the gate and has nearly grown into a walking triple double, as he’s averaged 16.4 points, 9.9 assists and 8.5 rebounds over his last 10 games.
But there’s another statistic that’s not so glamorous and Carter-Williams is in a league of his own when it comes to turnovers.
It’s been no secret that MCW has seen his share of issues protecting the ball since coming into the league. As a rookie, Carter-Williams led the Sixers in turnovers per game at 3.5. Well, this is the one area MCW has unquestionably taken a step back in, as he’s averaging a league worst 4.8 turnovers each time he plays. And by league worst, I mean he’s ranked 435th out of 435 possible rankings, which isn’t going to help Philadelphia get too many of those prized wins they covet so desperately.
Infused in MCW’s turnover frenzy are 13 games where he’s seen at least four turnovers, and eight outings with five or more turnovers. Not only are these horrible numbers from a ball security standpoint, but considering Carter-Williams has only played 16 games thus far, the numbers speak to how glaring of an issue his ball security is on a very consistent basis.
Coming along with his 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio –which ranks 65th in the NBA and 40th among point guards — is four games where MCW equaled or surpassed his assists total in a game with his turnovers, with one being the nine turnover embarrassment he saw last week against Atlanta.
With Carter-Williams now at 77 turnovers on the season, he’s on pace for 360 total if he continues at the 4.8 per game rate and plays each game, which easily surpasses his rookie total of 247. It doesn’t take a wise man to figure out these are not good numbers, at all.
There’s a multitude of reasons that contribute to why MCW has struggled so horrendously in his efforts to protect the ball. It doesn’t help that 16 different guys have already seen time for the Sixers this season, with more sure to be suited up soon, and this doesn’t help with team chemistry in the least bit. Then there’s the added responsibility that comes along with MCW being the longest-tenured Sixer on a roaster loaded with rookies and fresh faces, which has shown Carter-Williams trying to do too much at times, often leading to bad shots and turnovers.
But one way or another, MCW’s turnover struggles ultimately come down to decision-making. Yes, the youth and inexperience surrounding him has contributed, but seemingly as often as he connects on one of his passes, he’s handing one over to the opposition. Unfortunately for the Sixers, Carter-Williams has shown no signs of slowing down, as he’s amped his turnovers up to 5.7 per game thus far in December.
With MCW contributing 27 percent of the Philadelphia 76ers’ league-worst turnover ratio, one thing for certain is the second-year floor general has his work cut out for him in the “needing improvement” category. As one of the expected pillars for a basketball franchise in progress, being the guy expected to dish the ball and make everything fall into place while leading the league in turnovers isn’t something that’s going to have a blind eye turned to it too much longer.
The Sixers are trying to lose, for now, and the building blocks are still being put into place, which gives Carter-Williams some time to work with. His turnovers aren’t his only issue, but they’re unquestionably his most nagging and at some point, those turnovers won’t have a blind eye turned once Sam Hinkie finally decides to try and let the Sixers become competitive.