Wendell Carter Jr.
Position: Center
Height: 6-10
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Weight: 250
School: Duke
Carter was a McDonald’s All-American and one of the top recruits in the country. He was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Georgia after helping Pace Academy secure its second straight state title.
He started 37 games as a true freshman for Duke, averaging 13.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks a contest. He shot 56 percent from the floor and showed off his range, hitting on 41 percent of his threes.
NBA
Carter was named second-team All-ACC and to the ACC All-Freshman Team. He finished second all-time among Duke freshman in rebounds (335), blocked shots (76) and double-doubles (16).
Strengths
Carter has an NBA body and isn’t afraid to use it. He’s also incredibly nimble for a player his size. He’s an excellent rebounder, good rim protector and a strong on-the-ball defender.
Offensively, he has an array of post moves and makes quick decisions, showing a strong basketball IQ. He has great touch around the rim and soft hands to pull in passes of all kinds. He showed the ability to extend out to the three-point line and the 74 percent he shot from the free throw line shows it’s no fluke.
He’s the prototypical five for the modern NBA. He runs the floor well, blocks shots and can hit the occasional trey.
Weaknesses
Carter is a good athlete, but not a great one. He’s great at getting position on rebounds but may struggle with bigs that play above the rim. He’s OK off the bounce for his size, but you don’t want to overexpose him in that regard. He can be undisciplined at times defensively and get into foul trouble.
NBA comparison
I’m not the first to make this comparison, but I see a lot of Al Horford in his game. Neither player is a spectacular athlete, but both possess great size, strong basketball IQ, and touch around the basket and beyond. They both have quick feet defensively and offer solid rim protection.
How he'd fit with Sixers
Carter probably fits in the NBA best as a center, but his shooting ability and quick feet should allow him to play the four as well. He’d be an intriguing option as a backup center for Joel Embiid and power forward for Dario Saric — sort of like what Ersan Ilyasova provided the Sixers in the playoffs.
There's also a strong chance that 2017 second-round pick Jonah Bolden comes from overseas, making it less likely the Sixers would look into Carter.
Draft projection
Chances are Carter won’t make it to No. 10. This year’s draft is loaded with centers at the top, but expect Carter to be one of the first off the board along with Arizona's DeAndre Ayton, Michigan State’s Jaren Jackson Jr. and Texas’ Mo Bamba.