3. Continue to get Wendell Carter Jr. more involved
Although he was knocked out of the game due to injury in the Jan. 6 loss on the road to the Mavericks, second-year center Wendell Carter Jr. is on a good track this season. The Chicago Bulls also have a rebounding monster that can give the offense extra possessions. His offensive rebounding rate this season is sitting around 12 percent.
The start Carter Jr. got off to was better than he’s played of late, but Boylen was getting him involved in different parts of the game that brought along encouraging signs. Carter Jr. is shooting more from deep and he’s getting the opportunity to facilitate the offense from the elbow and run the pick-and-roll more often.
While the fruits of his labor aren’t going to show right away, WCJ increasing his range and developing his game to become a smarter modern stretch-five is the right move by Boylen.
Yet, the Bulls are really going to miss WCJ while he’s out due to injury. There could be a lot of pressure on the shoulders of rookie big man Daniel Gafford now. This could also get the former New York Knicks center Luke Kornet a chance at reviving his play during his inaugural season in a Bulls uniform.
We’ll see how long it takes for Carter Jr. to work his way back from this sprained ankle he suffered against the Mavericks. Boylen will hopefully keep getting him involved to develop the solid court vision and natural shooting ability that he brings to the table. John Paxson and Gar Forman took a chance on Carter Jr. at No. 7 overall for a reason in the 2018 NBA Draft.