Stepien article on Wendell Carter

[Bulls Fan 23]

https://www.thestepien.com/2019/08/06/wendell-carter-second-year-breakout/

[MGB8]

Great (if very possibly overly optimistic) article.

[kulaz3000]

A really fun read.

[AKfanatic]

Good article. It plays a lot on Carter’s intelligence and anyone that really paid attention saw exactly why that element of Carter screams success.

His defense is absolutely ridiculous for a guy so young. I remember watching him play Detroit and the way both Griffin and Drummond started hesitating in trying to attack the rim due to Carter challenging them. He had Blake completely avoiding attacking the rim after a few defensive possessions.

On offense, he had a nice stretch where the Bulls got him involved early and his confidence was visible. He was hitting floaters, midrange shots, and cutting for lobs...for whatever reason the Bulls went away from that after only a handful of games and it got to the point where Carter seemingly didn’t want to shoot.

I’m expecting really big things from Wendell this season, though I could see some struggles after all the missed time. If he’s played in the high post more often and used as a guy that screens, cuts, pops, and is given the opportunity to swing the ball out to Lauri or inside to a cutting Lavine, he and the Bulls are going to show some nice signs of offensive success. Carter playing with Otto brings a lot of basketball IQ to the Bulls.

[kulaz3000]

I don't want it to happen, but this season I think is going to be critical in terms of who the management will look to lock up long term and invest in between Lauri and Carter. I think on paper, they seemingly should fit well together, but I just feel both have enough untapped potential that having both would minimize each other's play and development.

Again, I hope it really works out with those two on the same team, but I just have a feeling that in two years time, one of those players will likely be on another team. There just haven't been many notable big man tandems which have taken their team to the promisedland. It's usually a big man and a guard, or two wing players as the key players.

The closest successful big men duos I can think of is Parish and McHale (but Bird was the best player), Webber and Divac (with Bibby being the second best player), then of course there is Tim Duncan and David Robinson, but those two, they were in vastly different stages of their career.

[GimmeDat]

Zwicker is one of the best ball heads in the business to listen to, and he's always been super high on Carter. This is a must read.

[Repeat 3-peat]

Really excited about the front court for this team.

[kingkirk]

Wendell > every other prospect on this roster.

[Dominator83]

I used to get excited after reading articles about Curry, Chandler, Crawford, Fizer, Tyrus, Gordon (not that he sucked but the fluff pieces made you believe he would make a leap to MVP candidate), even guys like Thabo and James Johnson got a few of those!

I still like those fluff pieces. They're fun and exciting still, but I'll believe the improvements when I see them on the court in games

[coldfish]

Fantastic article overall. I agree with Mark that he is Chicago's best prospect. Too many people discard him from future projections. His basketball IQ is off the charts and he has a good motor. Its really hard to teach that.

The ability for bigs to post up is actually integral in the modern game to both disincentivize switches and of course to make actual switches pay. But it’s more about having it in one’s bag as a threat, as a secondary option and to pass out of than being the hub of an offense or a player’s primary utilization playtype. This sentiment screams especially true for Carter, who can function comfortably here on switches against smaller wings/guards (he’s also a solid interior finisher on not post ups), but he isn’t nearly as adept against centers who often have a size advantage over him.

This is exactly what I and others have been saying about Lauri for a while. The purpose of post offense in today's NBA is to kill smaller players. If its an even match up, take the guy outside.

[Indomitable]

I don't want it to happen, but this season I think is going to be critical in terms of who the management will look to lock up long term and invest in between Lauri and Carter. I think on paper, they seemingly should fit well together, but I just feel both have enough untapped potential that having both would minimize each other's play and development.

Again, I hope it really works out with those two on the same team, but I just have a feeling that in two years time, one of those players will likely be on another team. There just haven't been many notable big man tandems which have taken their team to the promisedland. It's usually a big man and a guard, or two wing players as the key players.

The closest successful big men duos I can think of is Parish and McHale (but Bird was the best player), Webber and Divac (with Bibby being the second best player), then of course there is Tim Duncan and David Robinson, but those two, they were in vastly different stages of their career.

Gasol/Bynum
RWallace/BWallace
Shaq/Horace

Today
Indy Sabonis/Turner
Detroit Blake/Drummond
Laker Boogie/AD
Philly Embiid/Horford
Bucks Lopez/Giannis

Lauri and Wendell should work. They both can play together. This is not a situation where they cannot work.

[sco]

Funny but Carter's biggest strength and weakness is his brain. He has super high BBIQ, but was quick to let doubt seep into his game.

It is possible he makes a big step forward this year, if I were to bet, we won't see that big step until after the all star break. He's got a lot of catch-up to do after missing so much time.

As for playing alongside Lauri, I don't get the fit issues. They have perhaps the most complementary skillsets of any starting PF/C's in the NBA.

[Red Larrivee]

This is a great read. It further proves how mismanaged Carter was as a rookie. Those low upside takes a year ago are hilarious to think about.

Also, I really hope people stop with the "Wendell is too slow to guard in space" takes. That **** is played.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Proven_Winner]

He didn’t say anything new. I’m more disappointed some of you trying to make this a competition between him and Lauri when we have both. There’s zero reason to believe Bulls won’t try to keep both big men when they’re full of potential. Both fit together fine they’re both smart and they haven’t even played together for long.

Back to Wendell I think the article just reminds everyone what he did before going down which some fans have been saying all season. Every chance I get I remind everyone Wendell had a case for a defensive team when he played. Way ahead of his time and he’s still 20/21. One of the biggest and best decisions the FO has hit on since rebuilding.

[Michael Jackson]

I don't want it to happen, but this season I think is going to be critical in terms of who the management will look to lock up long term and invest in between Lauri and Carter. I think on paper, they seemingly should fit well together, but I just feel both have enough untapped potential that having both would minimize each other's play and development.

Again, I hope it really works out with those two on the same team, but I just have a feeling that in two years time, one of those players will likely be on another team. There just haven't been many notable big man tandems which have taken their team to the promisedland. It's usually a big man and a guard, or two wing players as the key players.

The closest successful big men duos I can think of is Parish and McHale (but Bird was the best player), Webber and Divac (with Bibby being the second best player), then of course there is Tim Duncan and David Robinson, but those two, they were in vastly different stages of their career.

You forgot Tyson and Eddy

[DuckIII]

A lot of good stuff in the article, but one thing popped out at me:

Carter shooting 3s and being an adept overall floor spacer with at least some gravity is not a matter of if but when.

I strongly agree with this. I believe our team has the ability to, in time, field a starting lineup in which all 5 players are meaningful deep threats.

[FriedRise]

Really hope the coaching staff do a better job using Carter this coming season. He may not be an elite scorer like LaVine or Lauri, but I think he's farthest along on the roster to becoming a two-way player. You can play him with any lineup since he's so versatile and not a liability on either end of the court. I think he can be the anchor both offensively and defensively.

Offensively, he's a player who makes quick decisions and knows when to shoot, pass, or drive. I'd like to see more sets where he's used like Draymond pulling out the other team's big man with our guards and wings playing off ball.

[Proven_Winner]

A lot of good stuff in the article, but one thing popped out at me:

Carter shooting 3s and being an adept overall floor spacer with at least some gravity is not a matter of if but when.

I strongly agree with this. I believe our team has the ability to, in time, field a starting lineup in which all 5 players are meaningful deep threats.

Hopefully with his soft touch he’s been working on that corner 3. I think he’s going to be a dangerous shooting big not so much from outside but in the mid range. He was streaky from mid range last year but I’m confident he’ll calm himself and start hitting those shots consistently.

[PaKii94]

#TeamLauri... But also #TeamWCJ leggggoooo. What should their duo name be?

[Dieselbound&Down]

I used to get excited after reading articles about Curry, Chandler, Crawford, Fizer, Tyrus, Gordon (not that he sucked but the fluff pieces made you believe he would make a leap to MVP candidate), even guys like Thabo and James Johnson got a few of those!

I still like those fluff pieces. They're fun and exciting still, but I'll believe the improvements when I see them on the court in games

All true. But I don't read this as a fluff piece. There isn't a Wendell interview, they don't talk about his family, how hard he worked over the summer, etc. It talks about how he played last year, the strengths he proved and how this can translate this year with a better understanding as a team and player in how to fold him into the offensive and defensive schemes. The projection here is based on review of his actual game and not a "if he does X then he should become Y" crap or human interest piece that is easy and lazy. At least that is my opinion of the article.