Jaycee Carroll, summer league
All Jaycee Carroll wants is a chance.
A chance to play. A chance to show he’s more than just a scorer. A chance to prove he’s good enough to play in the NBA.
Oddly enough, it’s a former BYU Cougar that’s giving it to him at the moment.
“I think it helps that he’s familiar with me,” Carroll told the Deseret News. “He knows what I can do because he’s seen me play a few times before.”
That person has not only seen Carroll play, he’s played against him — and witnessed up close and personal how good the former Aggie can be. That person is Austin Ainge.
“It’s kind of funny, I guess,” Carroll said. “But it’s nice that he’s able to trust me enough to keep me on the floor.”
Carroll is playing for the Boston Celtics in the NBA’s Orlando summer league and Ainge is coaching the team of NBA draft picks and hopefuls. Carroll, who lit Ainge up a time or two, has turned that into playing time.
“That’s all you can ask for,” Carroll said. “”All you want is a chance to be out there playing and not on the bench. It’s hard to show that you can play if you’re not on the floor.”
In Boston’s first two games at the Orlando Magic training facility, Carroll has averaged more than 29 minutes per game and has responded with 13 points in the opening 87-82 loss to Oklahoma City and 14 points Tuesday against Philadelphia. He’s made 12 of 26 shots and is averaged 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
“I’ve played pretty well, I think,” Carroll said. “I’ve heard some good things, not just from Boston but from some of the other teams. So that’s encouraging.”
Carroll played in the Spanish league last year and was one of the top scorers in what many consider to be the toughest non-NBA league in the world. He has an option for another year with CB Gran Canaria. There, he has worked on developing the skills that he hopes will make him more than just a scorer. His ball handling and play making ability, he understands, will be what determines his NBA future as much as his shooting ability.
Carroll faces off against Charlotte Wednesday and then hits the floor against Indiana on Thursday.