He made an excellent start to last season, his first in the EuroLeague. Then a pulmonary embolism kept him off the court for months. When he returned, he wasn’t quite the same – as a player, physically or in terms of confidence.
When Ibon Navarro took over at Crvena Zvezda, many wondered whether he could help Tyson Carter rediscover his best form. After all, the two had enjoyed three successful years together in Málaga.
“I know Tyson better than you guys do. I know what he’s capable of,” Navarro said after Carter produced the best EuroLeague performance of his career.
“He knows me, I know him, and we have a good relationship. So yeah, it’s definitely an advantage,” Carter explained in his typically concise manner.
The Hoop Got Bigger
The quiet guy from Mississippi finished with 24 points, shooting a perfect 2-of-2 from two-point range and 6-of-10 from three, to go along with five rebounds and three assists.
He led Zvezda’s early onslaught against Maccabi, as the hosts raced to a virtually unassailable 31–11 lead in less than eight minutes. Carter had already scored 14 points by then.
“Once you see the first couple of shots go in, the hoop definitely gets bigger. Then you build momentum, feed off the crowd and your teammates. It’s fun out there,” the 28-year-old Carter said.
Navarro Wants Only Fully Fit Players
Carter is a reliable, intelligent defender, and his offensive numbers in the EuroLeague this season haven’t been bad either. Still, he often seems to play with the handbrake on. He doesn’t always make the right decisions, and there are stretches when he fades out of the offense altogether.
On a Zvezda team where any number of players can take center stage on a given night, Carter tends to operate in the shadows. Navarro clearly has plenty of faith in him. That much has been evident on nights when Carter kept getting minutes even as others were playing better.
Every player matters in Navarro’s approach. That’s also why he refuses to use anyone who isn’t 100 percent physically ready – no matter who they are.
The hope at Zvezda, then, is that Carter can raise his baseline level of performance and consistently deliver at least some of what he showed against Maccabi.
All Eyes on Bayern
“Just come out with energy and intensity. That’s all he’s been saying,” Carter said, recalling Navarro’s message ahead of the Maccabi game.
Even if Navarro said it a hundred times, it wouldn’t have been once too often.
A slow start proved costly for Zvezda in last week’s defeat to Partizan, while similar problems had surfaced earlier in the season against Žalgiris and Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Now Navarro’s main task is to ensure his team approaches Bayern with the same edge and intensity.
After such a comfortable, convincing victory, it’s only natural for a little complacency to creep in – that feeling of having the next one in the bag before it even starts. That’s precisely what Navarro will be trying to prevent.
Bayern are a different proposition from Maccabi, a more disciplined opponent. And Zvezda won’t shoot the ball the way they did on Tuesday night every time out – 16-of-35 from beyond the arc.
What’s more, the red-and-whites will enter the game as favorites, and a strong start is always the best way to relieve some of that pressure.
David Krämer offered his assessment of the next opponent.
“First of all, shooting is Bayern’s strength. They’ve strengthened their roster, bringing in Dwayne Washington, and of course there’s Andreas Obst. They also have a good presence in the paint.
“Anton Gavel wants his team to play fast, and he was known as a very good defender himself when he played in the EuroLeague. I’m sure he’ll demand a lot of defensive pressure.”
