Wendell Carter Jr - The Block Panther Edition

[StunnerKO]

[khufure]

WCJ getting praise from NBA.tv (~1:20)

Watch on YouTube

[RedBulls23]

In a survey of the 2018 rookie class done by NBA.com, the former Duke center was the most popular response to the question "Which rookie will have the best career?" Carter Jr. received 13% of the votes, compared to 10% for runners-up Kevin Knox and Jerome Robinson. No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton tied for 3rd at 7%, along with Mo Bamba, Mikal Bridges, Collin Sexton and Lonnie Walker IV.

https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/nba-buzz-rookie-class-impressed-bulls-carter-jr?amp&__twitter_impression=true

[TeamMan]

WCJ getting praise from NBA.tv (~1:20)

Watch on YouTube

Now that the dust has settled from the draft and the FA market, the "experts" are being called upon to evaluate what has happened, and the effect that it will have on the NBA this coming season.

For the Bulls, the end effect is that the team has a lot of young talent in a conference that will no longer have "King James" dominating the playoffs. That leaves things wide open for almost any team to break through into the NBA finals depending on how the roster changes and unknowns (like injuries or mid-season trades) affect the conference.

In that regard, the Bulls have settled in with a very deep and talented roster that extends into the D-League. So, even if there are injuries, they can bring forward a lot of players to fill the gap.

Another x-factor was the unexpected announcement from JR that he is unhappy with rebuilding and wants the team to get back to the playoffs. This shift (if only momentary) completely removes the restraints that Gar/Pax have been putting on Bulls coaches for some years, and allows Hoiberg (from behind closed doors) to have some input into the structure of the roster and the development of team chemistry.

For all too many years Gar/Pax have made player moves that were aimed at dealing with the salary cap, and that totally destroyed the structure of the team and any team chemistry that may have been developing. Now Hoiberg will have an open window to leap ahead and focus on winning.

This could have a dynamic effect on the team's chemistry for years to come. And that is what the experts are starting to feel.

[rtblues]

Well, "The Czar" has been around and done a lot, and if he endorses WCJ, I'm pretty pleased with that.
Mike Fratello is an excellent analyst, and an ex-coach for several NBA teams*, guy's got cred...

* Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Memphis Grizzlies

[kodo]

Nobody blocks shots or rebounds with their forehead, head height is really an incredibly over-used stat. Shoulder height + wingspan is what really makes an impact, measured well by standing reach.

Standing Reach
WCJ 9' 1"
Steven Adams 9' 1.5"
Andre Drummond 9' 1.5"
Anthony Davis 9' 0"

He's no Rudy Gobert, but WCJ is fine on the verticality department.

And really, what matters more than even that is how well he moves his feet out on the perimeter. This is an area where being a true 7' behemoth is a problem. In the playoffs, even the slowest HOU wing PJ Tucker drove right past Gobert like he was standing still and got a free dunk at the rim due to Rudy's acceleration problems.

That Duke team has horrible problems defending out in space before they switched to zone, but that might have be more on Coach K than Wendell.

[Chi town]

I think WCJ will have a Deng Like rookie impact. He will do everything well but nothing spectacular. He will fit in and make everyone around him better.

[ThisGuyFawkes]

I think WCJ will have a Deng Like rookie impact. He will do everything well but nothing spectacular. He will fit in and make everyone around him better.

I think this is why he'll be my favorite player this season.

[fleet]

I think WCJ will have a Deng Like rookie impact. He will do everything well but nothing spectacular. He will fit in and make everyone around him better.

To the bold. I feel like WCJ is more skilled than Deng was coming out. And Deng ultimately sort of slightly disappointed me in that regard, good as he was. So I'm gonna sell that right now until I see more. I like WCJ more than I liked Deng. We'll see if WCJ struggles with size, which Deng didnt have to worry about at his position.

[NecessaryEvil]

If only Luol would of developed a handle.....

[TeamMan]

I think WCJ will have a Deng Like rookie impact. He will do everything well but nothing spectacular. He will fit in and make everyone around him better.

Very difficult comparison, because this is also the year that Ben Gordon won 6th MOY.

What I vaguely remember is that the Bulls were struggling until Deng was put into the starting lineup, and then the team took off.

But it seems to me that at the same time there was another move, and it may have been moving Gordon out of the starting lineup and to the 6th man position.

The end effect was that all of the moves together had a titanic shift in team chemistry.

Could WCJ have the same effect if/when he replaces RoLo in the starting lineup? IMO, yes! But I think that the other starters will need some time to adapt to WCJ's different playing style.

I would give Hoiberg until after the 1st 20 games to make that change. By that time the Bulls should be holding one of the top 5 positions in the Easter Conference and ready to explode! And the move will be a very safe one for Hoiberg to make.

[sco]

If only Luol would of developed a handle.....

He did eventually get a handle and a 3pt shot, but by then his athleticism had left him.

[Chi]

I like Elton Brand more than a Deng comparison...

[Chi town]

I think WCJ will have a Deng Like rookie impact. He will do everything well but nothing spectacular. He will fit in and make everyone around him better.

Very difficult comparison, because this is also the year that Ben Gordon won 6th MOY.

What I vaguely remember is that the Bulls were struggling until Deng was put into the starting lineup, and then the team took off.

But it seems to me that at the same time there was another move, and it may have been moving Gordon out of the starting lineup and to the 6th man position.

The end effect was that all of the moves together had a titanic shift in team chemistry.

Could WCJ have the same effect if/when he replaces RoLo in the starting lineup? IMO, yes! But I think that the other starters will need some time to adapt to WCJ's different playing style.

I would give Hoiberg until after the 1st 20 games to make that change. By that time the Bulls should be holding one of the top 5 positions in the Easter Conference and ready to explode! And the move will be a very safe one for Hoiberg to make.

That’s the beauty of WCJs game... like Deng... no one needs to adjust to him. He’s plug and play. He fits his game to teammates and team needs.

WCJ will be a big upgrade to RoLo IMO. Defense and speed alone. I see Fred bringing him in for RoLo at the 6 min Mark w the starters because he will defend the PnR and rim, and space the floor w his 3 ball

[sco]

I think WCJ will have a Deng Like rookie impact. He will do everything well but nothing spectacular. He will fit in and make everyone around him better.

Very difficult comparison, because this is also the year that Ben Gordon won 6th MOY.

What I vaguely remember is that the Bulls were struggling until Deng was put into the starting lineup, and then the team took off.

But it seems to me that at the same time there was another move, and it may have been moving Gordon out of the starting lineup and to the 6th man position.

The end effect was that all of the moves together had a titanic shift in team chemistry.

Could WCJ have the same effect if/when he replaces RoLo in the starting lineup? IMO, yes! But I think that the other starters will need some time to adapt to WCJ's different playing style.

I would give Hoiberg until after the 1st 20 games to make that change. By that time the Bulls should be holding one of the top 5 positions in the Easter Conference and ready to explode! And the move will be a very safe one for Hoiberg to make.

That’s the beauty of WCJs game... like Deng... no one needs to adjust to him. He’s plug and play. He fits his game to teammates and team needs.

WCJ will be a big upgrade to RoLo IMO. Defense and speed alone. I see Fred bringing him in for RoLo at the 6 min Mark w the starters because he will defend the PnR and rim, and space the floor w his 3 ball

I won't get too excited after just some SL success and draft hype, but I am in complete agreement. I think the key to this season is to Bogans Lopez and give WCJ 25+ MPG.

We may suck, but I must admit to want to see a line-up of Dunn, Lavine, Parker, Markkanen, Carter.

[Stratmaster]

Very difficult comparison, because this is also the year that Ben Gordon won 6th MOY.

What I vaguely remember is that the Bulls were struggling until Deng was put into the starting lineup, and then the team took off.

But it seems to me that at the same time there was another move, and it may have been moving Gordon out of the starting lineup and to the 6th man position.

The end effect was that all of the moves together had a titanic shift in team chemistry.

Could WCJ have the same effect if/when he replaces RoLo in the starting lineup? IMO, yes! But I think that the other starters will need some time to adapt to WCJ's different playing style.

I would give Hoiberg until after the 1st 20 games to make that change. By that time the Bulls should be holding one of the top 5 positions in the Easter Conference and ready to explode! And the move will be a very safe one for Hoiberg to make.

That’s the beauty of WCJs game... like Deng... no one needs to adjust to him. He’s plug and play. He fits his game to teammates and team needs.

WCJ will be a big upgrade to RoLo IMO. Defense and speed alone. I see Fred bringing him in for RoLo at the 6 min Mark w the starters because he will defend the PnR and rim, and space the floor w his 3 ball

I won't get too excited after just some SL success and draft hype, but I am in complete agreement. I think the key to this season is to Bogans Lopez and give WCJ 25+ MPG.

We may suck, but I must admit to want to see a line-up of Dunn, Lavine, Parker, Markkanen, Carter.

I am pretty much on the same page. I would likely give Rolo normal starters minutes for the first 5-7 games. After that, I would "Boganize" Rolo until the trade deadline. After that, I would begin starting WCJ.

Of course, all of that assumes we see expected performance levels from both of them. If Rolo shows significant decline early I move that timetable up. If WCJ struggles for the first half of the season, I move the timetable back.

[sco]

That’s the beauty of WCJs game... like Deng... no one needs to adjust to him. He’s plug and play. He fits his game to teammates and team needs.

WCJ will be a big upgrade to RoLo IMO. Defense and speed alone. I see Fred bringing him in for RoLo at the 6 min Mark w the starters because he will defend the PnR and rim, and space the floor w his 3 ball

I won't get too excited after just some SL success and draft hype, but I am in complete agreement. I think the key to this season is to Bogans Lopez and give WCJ 25+ MPG.

We may suck, but I must admit to want to see a line-up of Dunn, Lavine, Parker, Markkanen, Carter.

I am pretty much on the same page. I would likely give Rolo normal starters minutes for the first 5-7 games. After that, I would "Boganize" Rolo until the trade deadline. After that, I would begin starting WCJ.

Of course, all of that assumes we see expected performance levels from both of them. If Rolo shows significant decline early I move that timetable up. If WCJ struggles for the first half of the season, I move the timetable back.

Yeah...totally agree.

I am a big believer that introducing more than one new guy into a line-up causes defensive confusion. At least 4 of 5 starters (excluding Parker) will be familiar with Fred's defense from last year. I also think that Dunn benefits from RoLo as a bail-out option in the offense...even more so this year, with Parker added - who will require more attention than Holiday did - leaving RoLo even more open at the rim.

[Chi town]

I won't get too excited after just some SL success and draft hype, but I am in complete agreement. I think the key to this season is to Bogans Lopez and give WCJ 25+ MPG.

We may suck, but I must admit to want to see a line-up of Dunn, Lavine, Parker, Markkanen, Carter.

I am pretty much on the same page. I would likely give Rolo normal starters minutes for the first 5-7 games. After that, I would "Boganize" Rolo until the trade deadline. After that, I would begin starting WCJ.

Of course, all of that assumes we see expected performance levels from both of them. If Rolo shows significant decline early I move that timetable up. If WCJ struggles for the first half of the season, I move the timetable back.

Yeah...totally agree.

I am a big believer that introducing more than one new guy into a line-up causes defensive confusion. At least 4 of 5 starters (excluding Parker) will be familiar with Fred's defense from last year. I also think that Dunn benefits from RoLo as a bail-out option in the offense...even more so this year, with Parker added - who will require more attention than Holiday did - leaving RoLo even more open at the rim.

All for the BOGANS treatment for Rolo.

I think Mr. Carter is going to make a big impact quickly with his PnR D, 3 ball and spacing, and rim protection.

[kodo]

RoLo is more than Bogans, he's a leader out there and the only guy who doesn't have an agenda. Everyone else will be looking to score as much as possible, get as many touches as possibles, build their career.

I remember a game early last season when Lauri had a little guy on him, so he moved under the rim and the defender was fronting him.

Jerian picked up his dribble and looked like he wanted to pass to him but just pump faked a pass a few times, didn't look like he was willing to eat a TO to his boxscore if the pass didn't make it.

Rolo ran up to Jerian, Jerian gladly gave him the ball with no chance of TO, and Rolo immedatiely threw the lob pass over the fronting defender to Lauri.

This team was frustrating last season not because of losses, but because clearly it was a bunch of individuals who knew the season didn't matter and just played for personal stats. Rolo was an exception, and I think he's needed to set that tone that this is not an extended SL tryout for your next team/contract.

[23-7]

Jerian doesn't live here anymore