Michael Carter-Williams: Is He The Answer In Milwaukee?

Is Michael Carter-Williams the long-term answer at the point guard position for the Milwaukee Bucks?

The Milwaukee Bucks are 32-29 on the season, but have lost their last four games. There are quite a few different reasons for their recent struggles, but part of it has to do with their decision to break up their teams core at the trade deadline.

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Brandon Knight had been playing extremely good basketball for the Bucks, but Milwaukee decided that they couldn’t afford to re-sign him after the season. That made them choose to get involved in a blockbuster deal that sent Knight to the Phoenix Suns and brought Philadelphia 76ers point guard Michael Carter-Williams in to replace him. It hasn’t worked out yet for the Bucks, but that doesn’t necessary mean that it won’t.

That brings up the question of whether or not Carter-Williams is the future at the point guard position for the Bucks.

So far in the five games that he has played with the Bucks, he has averaged 11.6 points, 5.4 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game. He isn’t even a shell of the player that he was with the 76ers earlier this season. In Philadelphia, he averaged 15.0 points, 7.4 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game.

There is no denying that Carter-Williams is being asked to be the exact same player that he was in Philadelphia. Kidd wants him to be aggressive offensively and make his presence known. That isn’t always an easy task for a young player after experiencing their first trade, and a lack of confidence is very normal in his situation.

Comfort is a big part of blending into a new team after a trade, and it is very obvious that Carter-Williams has not gotten comfortable yet. Jason Kidd has been doing everything in his power to take the pressure off of Carter-Williams, but nothing has worked yet. It is a major concern, but it is not time for Bucks fans to give up on the move.

At 23 years old, Carter-Williams is in his second season after being named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award winner last season. It was a shock for him to be traded to say the very least, and that shock still hasn’t seemed to wear off. Perhaps the feeling of getting shipped away was too much for the young point guard.

Despite the slow start in Milwaukee, there is absolutely no reason that he can’t turn things around. He showed star potential in Philadelphia each of the past two seasons before the trade, and he still possesses that talent.

Carter-Williams stands at 6’6″ which is much taller than an average point guard. It gives him an advantage each and every night that he takes the floor, and he needs to get back to taking full advantage of that height mismatch. There aren’t many point guards who can guard him one-on-one, and he is more than capable of getting to the basket whenever he wants.

He has yet to show the same type of aggressiveness that he showed back with the 76ers. It was obvious that he felt like the floor general and number one guy in Philadelphia, and he needs to get back to that brand of basketball soon with Milwaukee.

Kidd is the ideal coach for Carter-Williams to have in this particular situation. He dealt with trades throughout his own career before becoming a head coach, and is one of the best point guards of all-time. As he continues to get more comfortable with the Bucks, the talent will begin showing once again in Carter-Williams on the court.

Basically, to answer the question quickly it would be an easy yes. The Bucks made a big trade in a critical part of the season and are paying the price in terms of team chemistry and confidence. These issues pass with time, and they will get back on track to make a regular season stretch run towards the playoffs.

It is just a matter of time before Carter-Williams figures out the nuances of his new role in Milwaukee. Once that happens, he is going to return to being the player that won the Rookie of the Year award last season.

Next: The 30 Best Point Guards of All-Time

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