Overall, the general consensus was he's pretty good but nothing special. Which is kind of theme of most Magic investments under this current adminstration.
What NBA scouts are saying about Magic center Wendell Carter Jr.’s future
On to the quotes:
“He’s really just solid. I don’t think there’s anything he does at a high, high level. But I think he’s a guy who rebounds well. He can protect the rim at times. He’s got a nice jump shot. He’s got a decent post game.”
The picture that emerges is one of a clever player who also brings an element of scrappiness and fight. “I think he’s got some toughness,” Scout C said. “I think if Wendell’s healthy, he’s going to help the Magic. He can go alongside Jonathan Isaac pretty well because he’s tough, he’s physical. I think he needed a break out of Chicago. I think Orlando is a good spot for him because he has some skill.”
“He’s a guy who you trust defensively,” Scout B said. “He’s smart. He knows where to be. He’s physical. He’s strong.”
When asked to describe Carter’s defense, Scout A responded, “ ‘Solid’ is a good word for it, because he’s not super-athletic and his feet aren’t the best. But back to the point about him being smart: He kind of just knows where to be and communicates and gets the team in the right spots, as well as himself.”
“The biggest question with him is: Can he stay on the floor?” Scout B said. “He’s had a lot of injuries in Chicago and Orlando. To really kind of justify where he was drafted and trading Vucevic for him, I think he’s got to stay healthy. He’s got to become a guy you can rely on.”
Of the four scouts approached for this article, Scout D was the most pessimistic. In Scout D’s opinion, not only has Carter not made gains since his rookie season but actually has regressed in some areas. Some of the issues may be related to health, the scout acknowledged. Still, Scout D expected Carter’s shooting to improve through the normal course of player development, but that prediction has not come to pass so far. Indeed, Carter’s 73.2 percent mark on free throws last season was the lowest of his career. And while Carter made a career-best 29.4 percent of his 3-point tries last season, it’s still nowhere near good enough to space the floor effectively for teammates.
Perhaps Carter’s biggest weakness is that he has no demonstrably elite strength. Yes, he’s tough. Yes, he rebounds well. And yes, he’s very smart, allowing a team to execute its plans on both ends of the floor. But what, exactly, is he great at? He has a high floor, but he may also have a low ceiling. Again, perhaps the best way to describe Carter is “solid.” And is that promising enough to merit a long-term contract extension at this specific point in his career? For now, that’s a valid rhetorical question.
“He’s just going to have to shed the injury-bug rep that he has, and he can’t run from it because he’s been hurt in all three years,” Scout A said. “But down the line, he looks like he could be a solid starter. Will he ever be a top-10 starter? I don’t know. He has good size, he’s a good guy and has a good head on his shoulders. Then if he can stretch that jumper out to the 3-point line, that’s a bonus. But at least you can run offense with him because of how smart he is.” Scout C put it more bluntly: “Is he a starter on a playoff team? I’m not sure about that.
