With all the injuries, the Sacramento Kings have been calling up G League players to fill out the roster. Yet, some players continue to get no minutes at all, including second-year guard Devin Carter. The Kings should just let him stay in the G League to get regular reps and the chance to develop.
Carter kind of got caught in a tough situation during his rookie season. He played for both Sacramento and Stockton, which isn't surprising for a developing rookie. Unfortunately, it seemed like he got lost in the shuffle between Mike Brown's firing and the De'Aaron Fox trade.
Now, he spends most of his NBA time on the bench, getting inconsistent and mostly non-existent minutes. That has harmed his development as a player with the Kings, but also as an NBA player in general. It's hard to grow without time on the court to figure things out.
That's what made Doug Christie and the front office's decision to return Carter to the G League so great. He got to play actual basketball, shake off the rust, and work on his game. He was actually playing pretty well and seemed to be enjoying his time in Stockton.
Devin Carter should finish out the full G League season
That only lasted two games before Carter was called back up to Sacramento. Since then, he's basically been left on the bench when healthy. He's gotten a few minutes here and there, but it hasn't amounted to much. Basically, Carter is back to building up a layer of dust sitting on the bench.
The Kings have lost a few players to injuries, including Carter. They also have a bench full of guys like Doug McDermott, Dario Saric, and Drew Eubanks who aren't getting minutes. It doesn't make any sense to call Carter up and not use him while they already have players perpetually riding the bench.
On top of that, the Kings have Malik Monk, who was benched for most of the last several games. He got on the court versus the Warriors recently, which was great to see. Still, Devin Carter only played a handful of minutes. The Kings don't really need him right now.
To be fair, Devin Carter was also dealing with an injury for a few games, which complicated the situation. Regardless, he should be getting minutes in the G League when he's healthy. It's not even a question. Carter has the potential to be a solid player if he gets the chance to be one.