Memphis Grizzlies rookie Jevon Carter is an exciting player, but have we seen someone like him before? He certainly has the looks of a current NBA point guard.

Jevon Carter showed that he is one of the best players to come out of the Big 12 this year. At West Virginia last year, Carter averaged 17.3 points, 6.6 assists and 4.6 rebounds over 37 games. He played there for four years, making him one of the most polished players to come out of the 2018 NBA Draft class. He was selected 32nd overall by the Memphis Grizzlies.

Carter’s game resembles that of Los Angeles Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley. Beverley is known as a menace and an overall defensive pest in the league. Some regard him as one of the best defensive players in the NBA.

Jevon Carter was awarded Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year two times during his four-year career at West Virginia. He plays with a fearless attitude and isn’t afraid of making contact with the opposition.

Carter ranks 17th all-time in Division I Men’s basketball with 330 career steals. He made his NBA debut in the Utah Jazz Summer League, where faced off against the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young. Carter limited Young to 16 points on 4-of-20 shooting and played impressive defense the entire game, barely allowing Young to get off a clean shot.

In three Utah Summer League games, Jevon Carter averaged 6.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, but he stepped it up in Las Vegas, posting 9.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game over four appearances.

Like Beverley, Carter plays full-court press defense that doesn’t allow the opponent to get comfortable walking up the court. He isn’t just all defense though, as he does a great job of penetrating the lane, opening up shots for his teammates.

Carter is a high-level outside shooter, as he shot 39 percent from beyond the arc in college. He plays under control and is rarely seen turning the ball over. When he’s around the basket, he finds ways to finish using his high level of body control in midair. Carter is a natural born leader and that is an elite trait in the modern NBA.

One of the knocks on Carter is that he is a very small player. He stands at 6’1″ with a 6’5″ wingspan, which isn’t good in comparison to bigger point guards around the league. Carter will struggle early to guard the NBA’s bigger guards, but his tenacity will keep him fighting against his opponents. If he becomes anything like Beverley, Grizzlies fans would take that and run with it.

Having a backup point guard with impressive defensive instincts is not something that many teams can boast. Carter being picked high in the second round only shows how highly the Memphis brass is on him. With Mike Conley getting older, the Memphis Grizzlies needed someone who could potentially relax the load on the starting point guard.

The Grizzlies hope Jevon Carter can become a decent 3-and-D role player, but he has the potential to be much more. He comes into the league already having elite defensive instincts, which only helps his case for being a potential contributor in Memphis for years to come. Carter comes to the Grizzlies as the third string point guard behind Mike Conley and Andrew Harrison, but he’s a match made in heaven for a team known for grinding out wins.