Don't Overreact to Carter Bryant's Summer League Struggles

The San Antonio Spurs selected Carter Bryant with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft with the hopes of him developing into a long-term rotation staple on the wing. The Arizona product rose high in rankings as the draft process came to a close, being viewed as a high-upside swing.

In his lone season of college basketball, Bryant had underwhelming box scores for a player taken in the lottery, averaging 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1 assists in 19.3 minutes per game. He wasn't taken to be an immediate impact player, so his early summer league struggles should be taken lightly.

In his debut performance against the Miami Heat, Bryant logged seven points, five rebounds, one assist, three turnovers and seven fouls while shooting three-for-eight from the field in 21:29 minutes of play.

Game two against the Los Angeles Lakers was more of the same, logging nine points, three rebounds, two blocks, four turnovers and four fouls while shooting two-for-eight from the field in 24:36 minutes of play.

The Spurs have been blessed with rookies finding quick success in recent years, as they roster the previous two Rookie of the Year winners, Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama. Waiting for a project like Bryant to develop might catch many off guard, but it's important to remain patient.

Why not to worry about these portions of Bryant's box scores:

Shooting woes

Early season shooting struggles have been a common theme for Bryant, as he began his freshman campaign at Arizona shooting shaky as well. He shot 40 percent or worse from the field in seven of his first eight games, before churning out 11 performances of 50 percent or better in his next 12.

Through a simple query of college players who shot at least 37 percent from 3-point range on 50 attempts, played less than 50 percent of their teams minutes and were selected in the lottery, Bryant finds himself alongside three other successful 3-and-D NBA Players. Joining him is Cameron Johnson in his 2015-2016 season, De'Andre Hunter in his 2017-2018 season and Devin Vassell in his 2018-2019 season.

It is important to note, however, that Bryant entered the draft following his query season, while Vassell and Hunter each stuck around for a second collegiate season following those campaigns, and Johnson played in three more after his. Each of them turned out as productive players in the NBA, but Bryant may take some more time than his peers.

His Summer League coach, Mike Noyles, also has the mindset of Bryant developing over a period of multiple seasons.

"Offensively, he's very skilled," Noyles said. We believe he can build out over the years."

Foul rate

For the early stages of Bryant's career, defense is the sticking point for staying on the floor.

"He's got to be able to guard," Noyles said, "and he'll find his way. He's clear on his role, and (while) we don't expect him to have all the answers, he's got to set the tone on defense."

One of the answers he doesn't have is matching the NBA's physcality without fouling. Bryant is fouling at an alarming rate through his first two appearances, hitting seven in his first game and four in the next. It may be reckless, but at the very least proves that he's willing to be physical – running through screens and attempting to hold his ground.

Early foul trouble is common for wings growing into their defensive prowess – see Herb Jones, who recorded four or more fouls in six of his first eight games with 20 or more minutes, or Asuar Thompson, who recorded four or more fouls in his first six NBA games.

While trying to adapt to the NBA's physicality, Bryant has still showed his chops on the defensive side of the ball with quick lateral movement and footwork.