DeMarre Carroll is the definition of a “Not-a-Box Score Player”
In the weeks before the season, Nick Denning and myself previewed the Atlanta Hawks on our podcast. At this point, we had a little joke about who was going to play small forward for the Hawks, and I think we settled on DeMarre Carroll. We then reminisced how times have changed in Atlanta in regards to being an NBA starter. However, I feel I should apologize to Carroll; throughout his career, Carroll has been underrated and undervalued and is the definition of a “not-a-box score” player. You can simply ask the Utah Jazz fans in the Real GM forum:
King everything: “He’s a dog. Doesn’t back down. Plays hard every time he hits the floor. It’s all cliché but it’s true. Exactly what you want from a role player. The biggest mistake of our offseason was not re-signing DMC”
Winglish: “His motto is one I wish all of our players would adopt, “Hard work is a talent.” DeMarre was a breath of fresh air in Utah. He believed he could succeed by outworking everyone else on and off the court. Many times I watched his frenetic energy become contagious, lifting the other players to dig a little deeper and try a little harder on the defensive end of the court.”
Carroll has never lit up the NBA, and he never will. However, Carroll has earned himself a living like many of the rotation players in the NBA; he is truly a pro’s pro. By defending and doing everything possible for his team to win, he has earned himself the nickname “the junkyard dog”. So far this year, Carroll seems to have raised his game when going up against big name players, as he was instrumental in the Hawk’s win over the Raptors by holding Rudy Gay to just 14 points on 6-23 shooting.
Carroll followed former Jazz teammate Paul Millsap to Atlanta. He was enticed by joining Budenholzer’s defensive style of play and being closer to home (Birmingham, Alabama). Life in Atlanta has gotten off to a great start; not only has Carroll won the starting job, but he is putting up career numbers of 9.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, and 1.5 SPG in 30.5 minutes. This is a marked improvement from last year, but this isn’t that surprising considering his increase in minutes (16.8 mpg last season). However, what is impressive is that Carroll is earning this extra playing time by defending the best player on the other team’s roster night in and night out. One area Carroll could improve upon is his efficiency, as he is currently shooting just 40.9% from the field and 27.3% from three. Considering what Carroll brings to the court though, Atlanta can live with that. The remaining starters for the Hawks (Teague, Korver, Horford and Millsap) bring a surplus of offense, so this starting lineup negates some of Carroll’s offensive liabilities.
Overall, it is shaping up to be a career year for Carroll who looks ready to take full advantage of his time in Atlanta.
By James Plowright
Follow @jamesplowright
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