New Magic Guard Holds Teammates Accountable

Jevon Carter's veteran voice is needed to call out losing habits

If anything, against Houston, Carter was one of Orlando's most reliable ball-handlers, 3pt shooters, and decision makers.

On a night where Desmond Bane exploded for his fourth 30pt game in his last six outings, the Magic watched in awe as a 19pt lead evaporated in a matter of three and a half minutes in the third quarter.

What went wrong so quickly?

After the game, Orlando Magic Head Coach Jamahl Mosley and Desmond Bane credited the Rockets' defense for turning up the intensity, forcing turnovers, and scoring easily off them, especially with the open threes that created for Reed Sheppard.

Jevon Carter, though, thinks the issues lay deeper than just the opposing team playing harder on defense, that an internal factor could be affecting the Magic's team mentality.

At the postgame presser, Carter answered questions about his veteran leadership voice, balancing his point guard role with his ready-to-fire mindset, and what he thought went wrong in this game.

Carter wasted no time keeping his teammates accountable, saying, "once we get leads, we get a little... selfish."

I feel like once we get leads, we get a little... selfish.

Once we get them leads, we just got to keep attacking what is working instead of worrying about if we're having a good night, bad night, let me get my stats.

...Yeah, I feel like I am being that voice.

Just calling it like I see it. Not worried about hurting feelings. Just being honest, being real

It is a young group, guys are looking to win. We are trying to find the right ways to do things right.

It is just my job to just come in and tell guys what I see and give advice as I see fit.

... Just being aggressive. Taking what the game is there.

If I feel like I got a good look, I am going to take it, and if not I am going to try to drive and create for my team.

I keep it real simple.Jevon Carter

Carter isn't calling out his new teammates to play the blame game; he's trying to wake up his locker room.

Shed the me and focus on the we.

Ignore that little voice in your head convincing you 'the game is in hand, go get your stats!' because instead of improving your numbers, you end up losing focus on the gameplan, and sometimes the game at hand; as Pat Riley says, 'keep the main thing the main thing.'

It takes sacrifice to win as a team; some nights your shot won't go down, your stats won't look clean, your box score won't be framed.

The funny thing about this Magic offense, though, is if they continue to hunt open shots for its best play-finishers, everyone's stats should see a bump in efficiency and production while also maximizing the offense to give the team its best chance to win.

In other words – When the Magic selfishly look to score tough shots off the dribble, the individual production does not improve and the team offense suffers, leading to inefficient stats and frustrating losses.

Whereas, when Orlando's players stay unselfish by hunting threes for snipers like Bane, Suggs, and Black plus paint touches for powerful play-finishers like Paolo, Wendell, and Franz Wanger, the whole team ends up benefiting in the long run, both individually in the box score and as a collective in the win column.