Wendell

Carter

The Magic received double-doubles from two of their starting frontcourt players, Carter and Paolo Banchero (18/11/5). The former produced a complete stat line against the Wizards, with the four defensive contributions being the most in a game for Carter since a January 18 loss to the Grizzlies. Carter’s season-long fantasy value has been solid, but he remains a challenging player to trust fully in 12-team leagues.

WCJ will be back after missing Tuesday’s game against Washington. Goga Bitadze started that game in his place, but he’ll likely be pushed back out of the rotation entirely with Carter returning.

Carter was a late scratch against Washington on Tuesday and could remain out for another game. Goga Bitadze started in his place, but he wasn’t productive during his 21 minutes on the floor. Bitadze’s streaming upside will be limited if Carter remains out.

Carter was a very late addition to the injury report and will now officially be unavailable. Goga Bitadze and Moritz Wagner should fill out the center minutes for this game.

Carter is a late addition to the Magic injury report, as he’s dealing with a sore left ankle. If he’s unable to play on Tuesday, more minutes would be available for Goga Bitadze and Jonathan Isaac.

Carter got off to an excellent start, scoring 15 points in the first half. While he did not factor into the Magic offense as much after halftime, he was responsible for the game’s most important shot. Carter’s putback with 6.7 seconds remaining gave Orlando a 110-109 lead that it wouldn’t relinquish, and it was his first 20-point game since January 30. WCJ has reached double digits in rebounds in three straight and four of his last five games, important production for a player who does not bring much to the table defensively.

The good news for those who have Carter rostered is that he recorded his first double-double since January 4 and seventh of the season. The bad news is that he didn’t provide value beyond points, rebounds and assists, and the Magic center was also responsible for five of Orlando’s 12 turnovers. The lack of defensive production makes Carter difficult to trust in 12-team leagues, even with his status as the starting center in Orlando.

A late addition to the injury report, Carter is good to go for Monday’s game. Despite Franz Wagner returning from an ankle injury, Anthony Black will remain in the Magic starting lineup.

Due to a sore left ankle, Carter was added to the Magic injury report following pregame shootaround. If he’s unable to play against the Bucks, Orlando could go one of two ways. Starting Goga Bitadze would ensure that a true center is in the lineup. However, with Franz Wagner (ankle) available and Milwaukee’s Myles Turner spending more time on the perimeter than in the post, Orlando could also go small with its starting lineup.

WCJ is good to go for Thursday’s game in Berlin, and he could slot back into the starting lineup. His return should mean fewer minutes for Goga Bitadze and Moritz Wagner.