Things Wendell Carter Jr. needs to improve on in Year 2
Wendell Carter Jr. was drafted by the Bulls with the seventh overall pick in the 2018 draft and later was immediately acclimated into the starting lineup once the regular season began, thanks to his defensive abilities and basketball IQ. Carter won’t return in the lineup until next season after suffering a gruesome thumb injury and with some slight improvements to his game, there is a chance that he may come back better than ever.
The 19-year-old rookie who plays the five averaged 10.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 25.2 minutes a game for 44 games before he was declared out for the season with a serious thumb injury. Carter got a good taste of what the NBA season is like at a very young age and is attested to be the future of the Chicago Bulls franchise alongside Lauri Markkanen when the Bulls announced that they would listen to trade offers on anyone other than Markkanen and Carter.
The Bulls have a very weak roster (also an atrocious bench), and Carter was able to benefit from that as well as the team being hit with a lot of early-season injuries that gave him more room to shine. Carter was among the top five rookies in scoring this season and was effective immediately out the gate. Robin Lopez may have also been a great mentor for him on the team, as well. But Year Two may look a lot different for him.
With the addition of Otto Porter to the starting lineup, the Bulls have more depth on their roster which means that Carter may become the fourth or fifth option next season depending on who the Bulls get during free agency or the draft.
Carter received a lot of praise for doing the little things that you are supposed to do right as a big man such as boxing out, using his length on defense, denying passing lanes, making the smart plays, running the floor as a big man, easily using his opposite hand to finish near the basket, and hitting free throw line extended jumpers occasionally were all things that Carter Jr. received recognition for. During his sophomore stunt, he may not get similar recognition unless dramatic improvement is shown.
In Year Two, I would like Carter to be more aggressive on offense. I feel like in his rookie trial, he tried his best to be efficient on offense and to make as few mistakes as possible. He would usually make one or two dribbles then make a move to either kick, shoot, or drive in a very predictable fashion. Carter also hesitates on his shot a lot when left open and sometimes his shooting mechanics aren’t as clean as they should be, especially when shooting 3-pointers.
Carter needs to be aggressive in taking those shots and nail them at a high mark when the defense sags on him. If Carter can maintain his efficiency on offense while expanding his aggressiveness his minutes will probably increase to where he is playing 30-plus minutes a game.
There were also many times where Carter looked very apprehensive whenever putting the ball on the floor and making a play on his own with the exception of several games. I recall during the seasons that Joakim Noah made the All-Star team, he would call his own number many times where he would dribble coast to coast and either make a beautiful dime to one of his teammates or finish with authority. Noah also was never afraid to pull up a 14–18-foot jumper even though he has one of the most awkward releases in the NBA. Noah was way more limited in offensive ability compared to Wendell Carter Jr. during his All-Star seasons but still had the confidence to make plays and help his team win.
I would love to see that confidence and aggressiveness in Carter, and I think he would be great at leading the second unit on the offensive side once he grabs the wheel.
On defense this season, Carter was praised for his slightly above average defensive plays due to his team’s lack of defensive effort. The Bulls are ranked 27th in defense this season which is exactly where they were ranked in defense the season before he was drafted. This means although he is playing alright on defense as an individual, he is not making a big enough impact on the entire team.
Specific areas on defense that I would love to see improvement on for him are staying out of foul trouble, (granted that he did get a lot of bailout foul calls on him because he was a rookie) increasing his defensive rebounds to between 6.5 and 8.5 a game, being able to move his feet better when he has to switch around a pick and is forced to guard smaller and quicker guards, and standing his ground against centers that are bigger than him. He really needs to be the energy and the voice of this Bulls defense. Carter has the potential to be a defensive prowess if he puts the skill and strength with his effort.
It’s time for Carter and the coaching staff to take the training wheels off in Year 2. The good thing is that Carter always finds some way to make himself useful on the court, especially on the defensive side, so he will definitely make a strong impact in year two as long as he stays healthy.
