Wendell Carter Jr. had a nice rookie season for the Chicago Bulls. He’s a good offensive player, but defense is where he’ll make his money.
When the Chicago Bulls drafted Wendell Carter Jr. with the No. 7 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, it was probably the safest pick of the entire night. Nobody knew how good he could be, but there was no way he’d be bad. He has the perfect toolkit for today’s NBA.
Offensively, he can read defenses, he can set screens, he can knock down jump shots (this one’s a work in progress), he can finish around the rim and he’s unselfish. If you’re looking for an example of what Carter could look like in a few years, watch Boston’s Al Horford. Carter is essentially a poor man’s Horford right now.
Defensively, though, is where Carter shines the brightest. He has the whole package on that end of the court. He can protect the rim (proof is provided in the video below), he has a high defensive IQ and he can contain speedy ball handlers.
Wanna see a video of Wendell Carter Jr. stuffing a huge Russell Westbrook dunk attempt? pic.twitter.com/82B1ykHiRA
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 8, 2018
Wendell’s big-time blocks are what make the most noise, but his switchability is what’s going to provide the biggest impact for the Bulls moving forward.
During the 2018-19 playoffs, we’ve seen slow bigs get destroyed in the pick-and-roll over and over again. Shifty point guards that have the ball on a string and can pull up from anywhere are the most lethal breed of point guard in today’s NBA, and the playoffs are where it’s more noticeable than ever.
Damian Lillard made it hard for the Thunder to use Steven Adams on defense and Lou Williams demolished DeMarcus Cousins in the pick-and-roll to the point where the Warriors couldn’t afford to keep him on the court.
The Bulls aren’t a playoff team yet, but whenever they get to that point, they’ll need a big man that can contain guards coming off a ball screen. Luckily for them, Carter can definitely be that guy.
No, Carter isn’t ever going to be as switchable as Draymond Green – but he doesn’t have to be. He just has to be able to move his feet well enough to not get picked on over and over again. He’s not quite at that point, but he’s really close.
The Bulls have a lot more to worry about before they can even be concerned with how teams would attack them in the playoffs, but it’s encouraging to know that they won’t have to worry about rushing Carter off the court when that time comes.
The biggest problems Carter has right now are confidence and getting in foul trouble. The good news is both of those things should improve as he ages. Foot speed is a tougher thing to teach, though.
Hopefully, the Bulls’ coaching staff can help Carter become more confident in his scoring ability, thus making him a bigger threat on the offensive end. As far as the foul trouble is concerned, most of that is a byproduct of inexperience. Remember, he just turned 20 on April 16.
Carter has the physical tools to be one of the best defensive big men in the league. Whenever the Bulls are able to make the playoffs, Wendell’s defensive versatility will be his biggest asset.