I think it is fair to say that the Orlando Magic have underperformed this season. Once Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Damian Lillard all went down last year with Achilles injuries the Eastern Conference became the Wild, Wild, West. It seemed like everyone, myself included, penciled the Magic in for a top 4 finish in the East after a very promising season last year. As we’re nearing postseason basketball the Magic currently sit at 7th in the East, and if the standings stay firm, they will have to fight for their spot in the Playoffs via the Play-In.
There is some hope, however. Over the past month the Magic are 8-4 including a 3 game winning streak after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves mere hours ago (sorry, Riley). While I may be known as the world’s biggest Jevon Carter fan and at times I can be a bit hyperbolic about who he is as a player, it is now undeniable to the fans and the players of Orlando that Jevon is in fact a tone setter, an energy shifter, and a culture changer.
The world started to notice Jevon’s impact after a loss to the Timberwolves late last month.
Jevon Carter has always been a straight shooter. He’s played with guys like Kevin Durant, Giannis, Kyrie Irving, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and DeMar DeRozan. There wasn’t a chance in hell that he would have came away from those experiences with anything other than a “no bullshitting” attitude. We do have to admire the fact that Carter is only under contract with this team for a couple more weeks (depending on how well the playoffs go). It would be understandable if he didn’t want to ruffle any feathers in an attempt to secure another contract, but that just isn’t Jevon’s style.
Another newcomer to Orlando took note of Jevon’s mentality, and when you get the stamp from one of the best players on the team it means a little more than a compliment coming from someone like me.
The the team’s Face of the Franchise also came out in support of Jevon and spoke highly of his winning mentality.
I’ve given Jevon the moniker of “The Paolo Whisperer” and the stats back it up. Since Carter signed with the team on February 6th, Paolo has averaged 23.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and has shot relatively efficiently given his struggles this year. The Jevon/Paolo connection passes the eye test as Paolo seems much more confident when Carter is on the floor AND it passes the calculator test as his stats while Carter is on the floor are STAGGERING (albeit in limited minutes).
That, arguably, isn’t even the biggest impact that Jevon has had in his short time in Orlando because he was apparently the one person who gave Jalen Suggs the nudge to go full Derrick White. If that doesn’t scream “culture changer” I really don’t know what will.
There’s a lot of chatter every year when it comes to the buy-out market. I don’t give a lot of credence to them as there hasn’t been a true trajectory changing signing that made a team go from a question mark to a Bonafede contender, but I do believe in X-Factors. Jevon said himself that Orlando was a team that actually wanted him and he wanted to go where he was wanted. I think that if you’d ask anyone in the front office they’re thanking their lucky stars that they made the call to Jevon’s camp because he’s changed this teams attitude and culture just in time for the Playoffs.
Do I think that Jevon Carter will end up winning the Finals MVP? Only in my dreams. I do, however, think that this was exactly the kind of signing that Orlando needed at this exact moment. With the looming threat of Jamahl Mosley’s firing this summer, it’s as important as ever to have a true floor general out there to calm things down when the waves are rocking the boat. With his defensive skillset being paired with Jalen Suggs, his three point shooting ability being added to Desmond Bane’s, and Jevon’s ability to unlock Paolo I don’t see a scenario in the world where Carter doesn’t get offered a big contract by Orlando. I’ve certainly been wrong about these things before, and Orlando has been known to do some pretty silly things, but this is the most confident I’ve been about Jevon Carter’s career in a long time. I’m just glad that this time I’m not the only one singing his praises.
Round The Game 
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