Wendell Carter Jr.
Pro comparison
Poor man's Al Horford
NBA projection
Starter/Rotation big
Measurements
6'10" 260 lbs 7'3" wingspan 19 years old
Poor man's Al Horford
NBA projection
Starter/Rotation big
Measurements
6'10" 260 lbs 7'3" wingspan 19 years old
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Strengths
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Weaknesses
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Write Up
Wendell Carter Jr. is perhaps one of the sleeper players in this years draft, he originally committed to Duke prior to Bagley's decision to re-classify and was hoping to be one of the main cogs in the offense, but graciously accepted more of a secondary role next to Bagley. Carter has a good combination of strength/length, at 6'10" and 260 lbs with a long 7'3" wingspan he's able to handle his own defending the post and protecting the rim (averaged 2.1 blks). Carter is not an elite athlete, but is fairly explosive in space, has good burst in a straight line, and can rim run when necessary. He also does a good job using his BBIQ to play angles and use his body to get to his spots. He's a good rebounder who still managed to average 9.1 rebs next to an incredible rebounder in Marvin Bagley who averaged 11.1 rebs per game. Offensively, Carter has an array of post moves, he shows good shot diversity and footwork, but needs to continue refining his touch near the hoop. He also showed his ability to stretch the floor and shot 41.3% from deep on 1.2 attempts per game.
However, while Carter has a great feel for the game, like any young player, he still has certain aspects that need work. Athletically, Carter is passable to a certain extent, but may struggle to switch onto quicker players in the NBA due to his average lateral quickness. He also tends to lack explosiveness when in traffic or near the basket and can be an easy block target for longer/more explosive bigs. Offensively, Carter is fairly limited to the center position basket on his skill set. While he shows flashes of creating off the bounce or stretching the floor, neither are consistent weapons at this stage. His shot mechanics tend to be a bit inconsistent when pressured, he'll rush his motion, shoot on the way down, or completely loose his touch at times. Lastly, while Carter is a dangerous high post passer and has good overall court awareness, he'll need to trim his turnovers a bit. Overall, Carter is a high floor prospect who has some mystique/upside, he is a very hard worker with a high BBIQ and will likely be a very nice and useful addition to any NBA roster.
Wendell Carter Jr. is perhaps one of the sleeper players in this years draft, he originally committed to Duke prior to Bagley's decision to re-classify and was hoping to be one of the main cogs in the offense, but graciously accepted more of a secondary role next to Bagley. Carter has a good combination of strength/length, at 6'10" and 260 lbs with a long 7'3" wingspan he's able to handle his own defending the post and protecting the rim (averaged 2.1 blks). Carter is not an elite athlete, but is fairly explosive in space, has good burst in a straight line, and can rim run when necessary. He also does a good job using his BBIQ to play angles and use his body to get to his spots. He's a good rebounder who still managed to average 9.1 rebs next to an incredible rebounder in Marvin Bagley who averaged 11.1 rebs per game. Offensively, Carter has an array of post moves, he shows good shot diversity and footwork, but needs to continue refining his touch near the hoop. He also showed his ability to stretch the floor and shot 41.3% from deep on 1.2 attempts per game.
However, while Carter has a great feel for the game, like any young player, he still has certain aspects that need work. Athletically, Carter is passable to a certain extent, but may struggle to switch onto quicker players in the NBA due to his average lateral quickness. He also tends to lack explosiveness when in traffic or near the basket and can be an easy block target for longer/more explosive bigs. Offensively, Carter is fairly limited to the center position basket on his skill set. While he shows flashes of creating off the bounce or stretching the floor, neither are consistent weapons at this stage. His shot mechanics tend to be a bit inconsistent when pressured, he'll rush his motion, shoot on the way down, or completely loose his touch at times. Lastly, while Carter is a dangerous high post passer and has good overall court awareness, he'll need to trim his turnovers a bit. Overall, Carter is a high floor prospect who has some mystique/upside, he is a very hard worker with a high BBIQ and will likely be a very nice and useful addition to any NBA roster.