Wendell Carter Jr - The Block Panther Edition

[bad knees]

The solution was to trade up for JJJ, who absolutely could stay on the floor with Lauri when other teams go small, because JJJ has unicorn like ability to defend on the perimeter for a big.

And of course the FO defenders can always shoot down any proposed trade idea by saying that “there’s no evidence” that the proposed trade would have worked. Of course there isn’t, because we aren’t in the trade negotiations.

But we do know that MEM wanted to dump Parsons’ contract, that they liked WCJ, and that we had the cap space to make a trade happen. We also know that the Bulls tend to overvalue their own assets (eg Portis) and that they inexplicably gave a promise at 22 which took that pick off the table as a trade asset.

And of course we know that Cuban found a way to trade up for Doncic.

So forgive me, but I do think that there was a better option - an incredibly great option actually - and I do fault the Bulls FO for not getting it done.


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Getting what done?

A trade for Doncic? The Hawks wanted Trae Young. He may have been off the board by the time the Bulls were to pick at 7. That's why a deal for Luka couldn't happen.

As for JJJ, there were reports the Bulls liked him and inquired with the Grizzlies about moving up. We don't know the particulars, but given the Mavs got Luka freaking Doncic without taking on any bad contracts and killing free agency plans, why should the Bulls have done that?

Trades, Mark. If you don't trade, you don't win. Non-traders are losers. Do you want to be a loser?

Just trade, nothing else matters.

Very nice, Mr. Moderator.

[waffle]

the only player I would have considered overpaying for was Doncic. But I didn't have Doncic rated that much higher than Carter...so...whatever.

[Salo23]

He is only 19 years old. Imagine him after a couple of offseasons under a professional strength & conditioning program. He might not be done growing either. Kid still has upside.

I remember Lauri’s highlights from Arizona weren’t that impressive in terms of showing off everything he could do. Maybe that will be the case with WCJ as well.

[Mbrahv0528]

Getting what done?

A trade for Doncic? The Hawks wanted Trae Young. He may have been off the board by the time the Bulls were to pick at 7. That's why a deal for Luka couldn't happen.

As for JJJ, there were reports the Bulls liked him and inquired with the Grizzlies about moving up. We don't know the particulars, but given the Mavs got Luka freaking Doncic without taking on any bad contracts and killing free agency plans, why should the Bulls have done that?

Trades, Mark. If you don't trade, you don't win. Non-traders are losers. Do you want to be a loser?

Just trade, nothing else matters.

Very nice, Mr. Moderator.

Lol! Post silly things and expect equally less serious responses.

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[Truebiscuit]

Here are a few videos to sort of analyze his explosion.

I will admit, that for the most part, he didn't look incredibly explosive at Duke (and I'm not trying to argue that he is). I think he was possibly playing a little on heavy side this year when I compare it with some of his previous tape.

I feel like overall, he looks a little bouncier in this highlight clip from 2016.

Watch on YouTube

This next clip shows him going against Ayton where Ayton actually got the better of him, but a couple of clips show very nice explosion imo. In particular, the play at about 2:52, shows some nice explosion. Imagine Portis finishing the same play off and you can see how much more explosive Carter is than Portis (not saying anyone is really arguing that his is).

Watch on YouTube

The first part of this video, goes into some detail analyzing Carter's level of explosion. He rates it at a tier below Ayton and Bagley, but still quite good (and better than JJJ or Bamba).

Watch on YouTube

I think with NBA training he can become a fairly explosive player, especially for someone with his frame and girth.

Nice find! Dude that first dunk in the first video, his entire arm from his elbow was above the rim! I think I might want this kid playing closer to 245 than 265.

[23-7]

He is only 19 years
old. Imagine him after a couple of offseasons under a professional strength & conditioning program. He might not be done growing either. Kid still has upside.

I remember Lauri’s highlights from Arizona weren’t that impressive in terms of showing off everything he could do. Maybe that will be the case with WCJ as well.

I think he's been close to 6'10" since 8th grade

[NBA Fan 1234]

Congrats, guys. I really like the pick for y’all.

Looks like my source in the front office was true. Cool. (Don’t forget it was me who told y’all.)

Looking forward to seeing how you guys develop! I’ll be sure to post my pre-college scouting reports for this upcoming season as I finish them.

[ndee1234]

We just drafted another Bobby Portis.

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[Mbrahv0528]

We just drafted another Bobby Portis.

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Stop. No we didn't.

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[Dresden]

For whatever it's worth, this projection tool created by the Stepien site which uses a lot of different stats and analytics, absolutely loves Carter. According to this, he grades out better than anyone else that played college basketball last year.



https://www.thestepien.com/player-distribution-tool/

Wow. That is encouraging.

[sco]

Wonder what kinda minutes to expect him to play.

I'm thinking he should see around 20MPG to start with, backing-up Rolo. If Bulls are smart they'll make him "earn" the starting spot by April. I think he's a decent pairing with Bobby.

That said, the Bulls would be smart to stagger minutes with rooks together to help their development. It would be funny, but could make more sense to start Hutchinson.

[Dresden]

I’m having a hard time understanding how on earth people are downplaying the abilities of WCJ but would’ve advocated drafting Mikal Bridges. Let’s use perspective here.. 4 years ago when Bridges was day 19 y/o not a single person on this board would’ve even considered him as a 2nd round pick let alone a lottery pick. WCJ at 19 y/o has a mature and polished NBA READY game, and is pedigree of Coach K’s recent “1 and done” crops. The kid is intelligent and has fire in him.

There are few Centers in the league that can play big in the paint offensively, and run the floor fluidly, catch in traffic, and finish. WCJ does this at the age of 19. Who gives a damn if he’s not an athletic freak of nature? Can he do his job? He’s proven to be willing to diminish his role for the betterment of the team (Bagley).

I mean let’s be real here guys, the kid might not have been Ayton, but how many bigs are? The kid has legitimate ability and possesses the willingness, intelligence, and determination necessary to maximize his game.

Good post. Carter may not have Ayton's overwhelming power, but he does appear to have more skills than Ayton does. I may be wrong, but didn't he block more shots per minute? Didn't he shoot better from 3? Isn't he a better passer? Doesn't he have a more polished inside game? Wasn't he a better offensive rebounder?

Sometimes you don't have to be a physical freak to be effective. Of course it helps, we know that. But look at how good of a scorer Zach Randolph was. Or Tim Duncan. Or Robert Parrish. Not saying Carter will be that good, but he does seem to be pretty darned skilled for a 19 yr old kid, and he does have that amazing 7'4" wingspan (almost the same as Ayton's).

[Hangtime84]

Wonder what kinda minutes to expect him to play.

I'm thinking he should see around 20MPG to start with, backing-up Rolo. If Bulls are smart they'll make him "earn" the starting spot by April. I think he's a decent pairing with Bobby.

That said, the Bulls would be smart to stagger minutes with rooks together to help their development. It would be funny, but could make more sense to start Hutchinson.

He should start right away. We need our assets to look good. We have to encourge FAs to come here. I totally expect him to dominate summer league tho.

[Hold That]

I don’t know about this pick, I see him as another role player.

[Dresden]

I predict Wendell Carter becomes a fringe top 10 center in the league.

I also think the 10th best center is probably worth less than the 20th best wing or the 15th best PG.

If, in 3-4 years, Carter can be a 35-38% 3 pt shooter, average maybe 15 a game, get 10 rebs, block 2 shots, get 3 assists, and play solid team defense- none of which seems that unrealistic given his versatile skill set, I would put him only behind a select few centers in the league:

AD
Embiid
KAT
Boogie

and possibly Ayton and/or JJJ and/or Bamba.

I'm probably forgetting somebody.

[Jcool0]

Wonder what kinda minutes to expect him to play.

I'm thinking he should see around 20MPG to start with, backing-up Rolo. If Bulls are smart they'll make him "earn" the starting spot by April. I think he's a decent pairing with Bobby.

That said, the Bulls would be smart to stagger minutes with rooks together to help their development. It would be funny, but could make more sense to start Hutchinson.

Same thing some said here about Lauri last year. His first 15 games: 30.9 MPG.

[Truebiscuit]

Wonder what kinda minutes to expect him to play.

I'm thinking he should see around 20MPG to start with, backing-up Rolo. If Bulls are smart they'll make him "earn" the starting spot by April. I think he's a decent pairing with Bobby.

That said, the Bulls would be smart to stagger minutes with rooks together to help their development. It would be funny, but could make more sense to start Hutchinson.

He should start right away. We need our assets to look good. We have to encourge FAs to come here. I totally expect him to dominate summer league tho.

I'd like him to start sooner than later, but I think Pax is old school (I know he is) and he doesn't want a starting job handed to anyone. My guess is he comes off the bench as RoLo starts (out of respect for the veteran). I think/expect RoLo to mentor WCJ, and honestly I think he's the perfect veteran to help our rook.

[Hangtime84]

Wonder what kinda minutes to expect him to play.

I'm thinking he should see around 20MPG to start with, backing-up Rolo. If Bulls are smart they'll make him "earn" the starting spot by April. I think he's a decent pairing with Bobby.

That said, the Bulls would be smart to stagger minutes with rooks together to help their development. It would be funny, but could make more sense to start Hutchinson.

He should start right away. We need our assets to look good. We have to encourge FAs to come here. I totally expect him to dominate summer league tho.

I'd like him to start sooner than later, but I think Pax is old school (I know he is) and he doesn't want a starting job handed to anyone. My guess is he comes off the bench as RoLo starts (out of respect for the veteran). I think/expect RoLo to mentor WCJ, and honestly I think he's the perfect veteran to help our rook.

If we drafted any of the bigs (Ayton, Bagley, Bamba, Carter). Lopez is the perfect guy tho show them the ropes. Also practicing with a guy like Bobby probably pushes players as well.

[Red Larrivee]

Wonder what kinda minutes to expect him to play.

I'm thinking he should see around 20MPG to start with, backing-up Rolo. If Bulls are smart they'll make him "earn" the starting spot by April. I think he's a decent pairing with Bobby.

That said, the Bulls would be smart to stagger minutes with rooks together to help their development. It would be funny, but could make more sense to start Hutchinson.

Same thing some said here about Lauri last year. His first 15 games: 30.9 MPG.

So, Felicio needs to punch Robin Lopez in the face.

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[GimmeDat]

Just a fun tidbit: this was posted on draft board on November 17th 2017. At that time I don't think I had even heard the name Wendell Carter Jr

I really like Wendell. Not the 'sexiest' prospect, but when it's all said and done I think he could be as high as #6 or so.

What can I say but tip my hat

The only thing missing is ..."#6 or so to Chicago"

lol, thanks for digging that up for me!

I don't think my opinion on him ever changed that much, because it's pretty apparent what he brings to the table. He looks in excellent shape now and only turned 19 a couple of months ago - let's hope that gives a chance for some unforeseen star upside in a guy that seems pretty proven but not 'unicorn-like'.

I think he'll be a really sweet 3rd-ish option. One thing I like about the Horford comparison, though there are some differences, is that I think they're guys that may not put up the biggest numbers, but they'll help you win ball games. Horford averaged 13/7/5 this season but was an All-Star and one of the most important pieces on a team that nearly made the finals. He was also good enough that he demanded a 25-30m per year contract.

I think Lauri will put up the stats but Carter will be doing the less glorified, but really valuable work making his teammates better and doing the dirty work.

I also posted this on the draft board 'potential sleeper' thread in April -

I'm starting to think Hutchison might be a bit of a sleeper, if he can be an above average shooter, which I'm on the fence with. His athletic tools are really solid, he can handle and pass pretty well for his position, great finisher at the rim, should be a good defender.

So let's hope I was right on that one!