5 Philadelphia 76ers Stories That Will Get Old Very Quickly

Mar 14, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams (1) shoots during the second quarter against the Indiana Pacers at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

2. Michael Carter-Williams Can’t Shoot

Michael Carter-Williams shot 40.5 percent from the field last season, and 26.4 percent from three-point range. That’s not good. That’s REALLY not good. However, Carter-Williams gets killed for his lack of a jumper more than almost any other point guard in the league, save Ricky Rubio. This isn’t totally fair, as he was one of two players on the Sixers last year who could consistently create his own shot, and he wasn’t even the worst shooter on his own team (Hey Tony Wroten!).

Carter-Williams does have a pretty bad hitch in his jumper, and there’s some cause for concern that his rehab from a torn labrum in his right shoulder could mess with his mechanics further. However, there’s much more to MCW’s game than shooting, and he can still definitely be an effective player despite shooting problems.

If MCW can get to the rim more, and finish more efficiently once there, his shooting suddenly isn’t as big of an issue. Carter-Williams is an excellent passer and thriving rebounder for a point guard, and he should make a defensive step forward in year two. His comparison with another certain triple-double machine’s rookie season is promising, and there’s also the possibility that MCW could, you know, make a step forward in shooting, too.

However, there’s still the reputation of MCW right now, and that’s going to take awhile to change. Even if he improves as a shooter this season, expect plenty of bashing of the jumper based on reputation. It will get annoying.