Why Donovan remains confident in Carter despite early slump

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Wendell Carter Jr. hoisted 29 3-pointers in 43 games last season, his second in the NBA. He’s nearly ⅓ of the way to that number this preseason with nine attempts across two contests.

Yes, just one of those looks has fallen, making for an 11.1 percent success rate. But when Bulls coach Billy Donovan says Carter’s expanded offensive role is “all new” for the 21-year-old center, he’s not kidding.

“I think we’re asking him to do something to expand his game. I think he’s capable of doing that,” Donovan said after Tuesday’s practice. “I understand that it’s not like all of a sudden going to happen overnight. He’s going to have some setbacks. He’s got to have a resiliency and a mental toughness to work through those things. I think it’s the best thing for our team if we want to evolve and grow out the team.”

So take as a relative positive that Carter’s confidence isn’t waning as he stretches his offensive wings for the first time in a long time. After going 1-for-7 from the floor (0-for-5 from 3) in the Bulls’ first preseason game, he came right back and posted a 3-for-11 outing (1-for-4 deep) in game two -- the operative figures there being the 11 and the four. In his 21.3 minutes per game, Carter's average of nine field goal attempts translates to 15.2 on a per-36-minute basis. He averaged 9.8 shots per 36 minutes last regular season.

A difference I immediately saw (on film) from last year is I'm getting more shots,” Carter said. “My second game I shot [11] shots, which seems pretty ideal for me. It's gonna just take the pressure off of Zach (LaVine), Coby (White), Lauri (Markkanen), allow them to be able to take their shots… As long as I'm making my shots, it takes some of the stress off of them.”

But that last point has been the problem. Carter is shooting just 22.2 percent this preseason. He's clanked every type of look, from floaters, to open 3s to stripped layup attempts, en route to his 4-for-18 mark from the floor.

Still, the new coaching staff has stood in steadfast support of him at every turn. After his 0-for-5 night, Donovan said Carter “should have gotten up 10 3s.” Donovan has repeatedly pointed the finger at himself for asking Carter to adjust to so much so quickly and reiterated confidence in multiple facets of his offensive game.

“When you watch on film, he does have the ability to pass the basketball and make good decisions. But we’re utilizing him in a way he wasn’t utilized really throughout his career. For me, after two preseason games -- and these guys having nine months off from playing and then having six contact practices and two non-contact practices -- to sit there and say, ‘Oh, I don’t believe he can do it, we got to totally revamp what we’re doing,’ I don’t think that would be fair,” Donovan said. “This is going to be a process. There’s going to be some ups and downs. I thought today, we showed him some things on film. We talked to him about some things. He’s eager to make those adjustments and changes as it relates to shooting the basketball -- as long as he’s taking good shots.

“Wendell’s a high-character guy. He wants to win. He wants to help the team. I think he really is very hard on himself. I think he holds himself really accountable and holds himself to a high level. And I think when you have a player like that, you feel good about trying to help that guy continue to grow and evolve. But it’s going to be a process for him. It’s going to be a process, and it’s going to take some time. But I know he’s going to work hard to improve the thing that he’s doing.”

That confidence culminated in a cumulative exhale after Carter got his first 3 of the preseason to fall in the third quarter of Sunday’s win -- a catch-and-shoot from the corner off a Coby White pass.

I'm a huge competitor, so whenever I'm not making the shots I usually make in practice or things like that, I kind of get down on myself,” Carter said. “But seeing that coach was still telling me to take my shots -- keep taking them, keep taking them -- it just allowed me to stay confident. So when I made that first 3, it was kind of a sigh of relief, just for myself. That I finally got the first one to go in, so now they know that I can shoot.”

While his offensive role last season was largely confined to rim-dives and mopping up second-chance opportunities, the Bulls’ new leadership has also empowered Carter to decision-make more frequently from the perimeter. Though he’s logged five assists in two games, Carter still sees room to grow in that aspect.

“My comfort level is high, but my decision-making isn't the best right now,” he said. “It's a completely different role than I've been used to these last two years. So, it's just something I've got to get used to. I pick up on things really quickly, and my coaching staff, that's what they want out of me. So, I feel like it's either I do it or I don't, and I feel like I'm pretty confident I think I'll be able to do it for this team.”

Improvement there and improvements to his jumper may go hand-in-hand. If the shots Carter is taking without hesitation begin to fall, it will force opposing bigs to more closely account for him on the perimeter. Even if he never reaches, say, 40 percent from deep over an extended sample, him merely needing to be guarded from beyond the arc would benefit the Bulls’ spacing -- and, in turn, open up driving and cutting lanes for teammates to exploit in Donovan’s movement-based offensive system. Then, the passing can really shine.

I want him taking those (outside shots),” Donovan said. “If he does that, it pulls the other team’s center out to him, opens up the lane, it allows us to drive.”

Preseason is the time for constructive mistakes and, for better or worse, Carter has made a handful thus far. In Donovan’s eyes, his response to said adversity will be key, as well as not allowing offensive misadventures to trickle to the defensive end, which the coach has emphasized on multiple occasions.

“He’s missed, in two games here, a lot of shots. He’s missed a lot of shots. But it’s OK,” Donovan said after the second Rockets game. “He’s taken the right ones, and he’s doing the right things. As he gets more and more comfortable, he’s going to get better. But it’s going to be a process for him. But I’ve got a lot of confidence and belief in him.

 

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