Michael Carter-Williams is back at the wheel.
And he’s excited about the prospect of driving the course of a full NBA season and helping the Milwaukee Bucks earn lots of reward miles.
The 6-foot-6-inch guard, whom the Bucks acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers along with Tyler Ennis and Miles Plumlee from the Phoenix Suns in a Feb. 19, 2015 trade that sent Brandon Knight and Kendall Marshall to Phoenix, was thrust into the Bucks’ starting point guard role for the final 25 games of the 2014-15 regular season.
Carter-Williams did what he could to make the transition as smoothly as possible and helped the Bucks earn their first trip to the NBA Playoffs since 2013. He was one of just six players in the league to average at least 14 points, five rebounds and six assists per game last season, joining James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Eric Bledsoe, LeBron James and Tyreke Evans.
The 2013-14 NBA Rookie of the Year was among eight players on Milwaukee’s roster who had never participated in an NBA playoff game prior to the team’s 2015 First Round series with the Chicago Bulls, but he didn’t allow the stage to become too big for him.
Carter-Williams hit 10-of-15 shots from the floor, scored a series-high 22 points and collected eight rebounds and nine assists during the Bucks’ 94-88 Game 5 win in Chicago on April 27.
He also helped frustrate Bulls guard Derrick Rose, who made only 5-of-20 shots from the field – none in seven tries from 3-point range – and committed six turnovers.
The series, which the Bucks pushed to six games with victories in Games 4 and 5, was an eye-opener for Carter-Williams.
“It was a learning experience,” said Carter-Williams, who averaged 12.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.40 steals during the series. “I learned a lot.”
Carter-Williams was among 34 players selected to participate in the USA Basketball Men’s National Team minicamp, which was held Aug. 11-13 in Las Vegas. The roster includes 11 of the 12 members of the gold-medalist 2014 USA World Cup Team and nine Olympic gold medalists.
The 2016 Olympic Games will be held Aug. 5-21, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“It was great,” Carter-Williams said of his minicamp experience. “The biggest thing was just being on the court.
“I learned a lot and had a great time. I took some advice from some of the guys who’ve been in this game for a while who are in a place I want to get to someday. I took a lot of advice and put in a lot of the work in the offseason, and I’m excited.”
Carter-Williams welcomed the opportunity to have a full camp with the Bucks after joining the team for the last 25 regular-season games of 2014-15.
“I think my mind is in a great place right now,” he said. “I’m really focused on the team and doing whatever I can do to make these guys better and to make us better as a whole. That’s my mindset.
“We’re looking to put in hard work and be the best team we can be.”
Carter-Williams enjoys the comfort zone he has found with the Bucks after beginning his pro career with the 76ers.
“It feels great here,” he said. “They had to do what they thought was best. I’m very happy to be here. The past is the past.
“I enjoy my teammates and I enjoy my coaches here. I’m just looking to get better and help make my teammates better.”
Carter-Williams has already reaped the benefits of playing for Bucks Head Coach Jason Kidd, who is widely considered one of the premier point guards in basketball history.
“It’s been great,” Carter-Williams said. “He’s taught me a lot in a short amount of time. I try to pick his brain every day and watch old film of his and how he ran his offense, especially this year.
“I’ve watched him when he was playing for Dallas and how he managed to get the ball to different guys in similar situations.”
Carter-Williams likes the cast of teammates that surrounds him, too.
“These guys are pushing me to be aggressive and attack the rim and do whatever I can to help the team,” he said. “I still have a ways to go and things to pick up at my position. I’m sure my teammates and my coaches will help me.”
He is excited to be a part of Milwaukee’s young core.
“It is a great opportunity for all of us,” he said. “We’re all excited for each other. We don’t have any selfish personalities on this team.
“We all know what the situation is. We’re going to depend on each other and work hard as a group. The biggest key for us this year will be us working together.”
Milwaukee made a single-season upgrade of 26 victories during the 2014-15 regular season to claim the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
Many forecasters expect the Bucks to continue their climb in 2015-16. They began this season with four newcomers – Greg Monroe, Chris Copeland, Greivis Vasquez and Rashad Vaughn.
“We have some different faces now,” Carter-Williams said. “I think we have to focus on our goals as a team; not what others think or expect from us.
“We just want to get better. One of our goals is to make the playoffs again. Once we make the playoffs, we want to build on what we did last year.
“How now do we prepare for that moment? I think that’s what it’s all about. We have to take it one game at a time.”