Wendell Carter deserves some recognition

[DukieInBrasil]

If not for Marvin's Monster Mash 30-20 game, it seems like Wendell's 14-16 game might have gotten some attention. Admittedly, Wendell's stats are not as tantalizing as Marvin's but he is assisting more buckets than MB3 and blocking shots at a higher rate. He's also not far off of averaging a double-double alongside MB3's double-double average. How crazy would that be for Duke to have TWO guys average a double-double in the same year, after K only had one guy do it previously?!?!?! (that would be jersey-retired for owning 2 Duke personal records and NDPOY Shelden Williams).
I would love to see more high-low between Marvin and Wendell with Marvin out high. They're both good passers and few teams have 2 big guys who can move like either of them. Plus the high-low prevents teams from clogging the low block, and MB3 or Carter can pass out to an open 3 if someone jumps down from out there. We've seen it a few times this year, and it seems to be effective, particularly when Trevon is out of the game. It seems like it's an option that we should take advantage of more.
Anyway, wanted to throw some props Wendell's way since he put up a pretty sick game and nobody's talking about it.

[OldPhiKap]

Dilly dilly. Carter is having a very good year, and is a monster in his own right.

[ncexnyc]

Nice post.

I definitely feel that if Carter was on just about any other team in the country you'd be hearing a lot more about him. I also believe that his stats would be higher than they currently are, because he'd be a bigger part of another teams offense.

But such is life when you decide to become part of a monster class of freshman, someone is more than likely to be the top dog on that team.

[GeneBanksManCrush]

Damn right he deserves some recognition. Wendell Carter is a MAN..

[WVDUKEFAN]

.... just quit dropping your shoulder, Wendell. :)

[CDu]

Carter is a beast, and reminds me a lot of Elton Brand. If we didn’t have Bagley, Carter would likely be putting up obscene numbers. As is, he is averaging really impressive numbers: 13.7 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.0 bpg, 1.9 apg. Really impressive. Better rebounding, assist, block, and assist/turnover rates than Okafor had. Very comparable TS% and eFG% too. Really impressive as the (distant) second option in the post.

[weezie]

What a luxury to have Wendell and the sweet exotic 2-1-2 zone when the need arises.

He's the secret sauce.

[UrinalCake]

If we didn't have Bagley then I imagine Bolden would be playing a lot more minutes and Carter would be at the 4. He'd be getting more shots but I'm not sure his numbers would be much better, because right now Bagley draws so much attention that Carter can get a ton of o-boards and putbacks. Plus without Bagley, Carter would have to guard the 4's on the perimeter which he's not well-suited to do.

That's all just speculation though. We have such an amazing 1-2 punch with those two. You can call them Batman and Robin, David Robinson and Tim Duncan, or whatever. I agree about the high-low and I think we'll see that against zones like UVA.

[Devilwin]

I think the two bigs complement each other great, Carter, I feel is the better defender, but has a powerful inside game as well. I know he's sort of playing in Bagley's shadow, but Wendell is a stout player that deserves major props of his own. The two give us a fantastic one two punch inside, which we have not had in a while.

[kAzE]

Pretty much everyone on the team is being overshadowed by Marvin. Wendell is having a great year by any standard. If not for Marvin, he might be the best Duke big man since Shelden Williams.

[drummerdevil]

If we didn't have Bagley then I imagine Bolden would be playing a lot more minutes and Carter would be at the 4. He'd be getting more shots but I'm not sure his numbers would be much better, because right now Bagley draws so much attention that Carter can get a ton of o-boards and putbacks. Plus without Bagley, Carter would have to guard the 4's on the perimeter which he's not well-suited to do.

That's all just speculation though. We have such an amazing 1-2 punch with those two. You can call them Batman and Robin, David Robinson and Tim Duncan, or whatever. I agree about the high-low and I think we'll see that against zones like UVA.

I have DeLaurier starting over bolden, and carter probably would be scoring more because when looking for a bucket he would be a bigger option.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Pretty much everyone on the team is being overshadowed by Marvin. Wendell is having a great year by any standard. If not for Marvin, he might be the best Duke big man since Shelden Williams.

Yup. Grayson Allen is especially overshadowed by Bagley. Hell, Allen is easily a top 5 player in the country, but he barely feels top 20 with Bagley. This isn’t criticism nor negative; I’m merely pointing out that Bagley is so good everyone is playing second fiddle to him. Well, except for Trae Young. Duke has the most exciting and fun team in the country. Oklahoma has by far the most exciting player.

[burnspbesq]

Dilly dilly. Carter is having a very good year, and is a monster in his own right.

Imagine Wendell going against Ivy League post players night in and night out. He might lead the nation in scoring AND rebounding.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Imagine Wendell going against Ivy League post players night in and night out. He might lead the nation in scoring AND rebounding.

Or against high school kids. Hard to argue this kid didn't make a good call.

[Rich]

Imagine Wendell going against Ivy League post players night in and night out. He might lead the nation in scoring AND rebounding.


Or against high school kids. Hard to argue this kid didn't make a good call.

Got your Bigs mixed up? It was Bagley who reclassified, not Carter.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Got your Bigs mixed up? It was Bagley who reclassified, not Carter.

Whoopsies.

Yup.

[devildeac]

Got your Bigs mixed up? It was Bagley who reclassified, not Carter.

I believe the reference may have been to Wendell's "final four" choices, which, IIRC (but not always correct:o), were UGA, GT, Hah-vahd and Duke.

[johnb]

While some/many teen phenoms want to maximize their time in the spotlight, and might resent a teammate like MB3, Wendell appears to be genuine in his twin goals of pursuing education and improving his game. He gets to play on tv twice/week, and then gets daily practices in which 4 other Duke bigs are also freakishly physical. On almost all other NCAA teams, he simply wouldn’t get that experience. He’s in the perfect spot.

[CDu]

I believe the reference may have been to Wendell's "final four" choices, which, IIRC (but not always correct:o), were UGA, GT, Hah-vahd and Duke.

The mixup comment referred to the post referencing high schoolers, not the post referencing Ivy. High school was an option for Bagley, not

[skysdad]

He's everything I thought he would be. Putting up some good solid numbers and they may get better. He's got a good head on his shoulders and you can tell he was raised right. I know education is a priority for him and I do realize it's a very long shot but is there any chance he hangs around a while.

[sagegrouse]

He's everything I thought he would be. Putting up some good solid numbers and they may get better. He's got a good head on his shoulders and you can tell he was raised right. I know education is a priority for him and I do realize it's a very long shot but is there any chance he hangs around a while.

We have a freshman center who goes for 14 and 16 against a top 25 team. That is absolutely terrific, and he will only improve with college experience.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I believe the reference may have been to Wendell's "final four" choices, which, IIRC (but not always correct:o), were UGA, GT, Hah-vahd and Duke.

Yes, but my comment was straight up clown shoes.

[peloton]

I'm in total agreement here. While Marvin makes spectacular plays and puts up impressive numbers due to his incredible physical skills, Wendell Carter is amazing in his own right. He's become one of my fave Duke players this season. The young man just doesn't play like or seem like a freshman most of the time in my opinion. As my wife might say about someone his age, he's "an old soul".

We're so fortunate to have the plethora of talented players that we do but yes, I believe Wendell's contributions sometimes are overlooked by the fans and media (although some quick investigation shows that he's won the ACC Rookie of the Week award twice). I'm definitely on the Wendell Carter SuperFan bandwagon though and I suspect there'll be no reason to jump off anytime soon. Major props to Mr. Carter!

[peloton]

...I do realize it's a very long shot but is there any chance he hangs around a while.

I have no insider information whatsoever, but I certainly hope so, Skysdad...I certainly hope so. It'd be great to have him at least another couple of years!

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I imagine Carter goes pro as a no-brainer and is top ten in the draft. But if he stayed next year, he could have his stats plus Bagley's. So he would average like 45 and 30 or something. Right?

[CDu]

He's everything I thought he would be. Putting up some good solid numbers and they may get better. He's got a good head on his shoulders and you can tell he was raised right. I know education is a priority for him and I do realize it's a very long shot but is there any chance he hangs around a while.

There is basically no chance he returns to play his sophomore season. Enjoy him for the one year we will have him. That is a safe way to look at pretty much any freshman top-10 recruit for the foreseeable future. Such is the way of the world in the one-and-done era.

[DukieInBrasil]

I imagine Carter goes pro as a no-brainer and is top ten in the draft. But if he stayed next year, he could have his stats plus Bagley's. So he would average like 45 and 30 or something. Right?

stop low-balling him. Even with all the recruits we're getting next year, if Carter were to stay, he'd average 80-40-20-10 pts/rebs/ast/blocks, easy. ;-)

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

stop low-balling him. Even with all the recruits we're getting next year, if Carter were to stay, he'd average 80-40-20-10 pts/rebs/ast/blocks, easy. ;-)

...and still wouldn't get his number in the rafters, right?

[MChambers]

He’s fantastic. I love watching him play.

[CDu]

Getting Bagley was such a huge get for the team. He is an almost perfect pairing with Carter on offense. If either of them could shoot just a LITTLE bit better from distance, they'd be a perfect pairing. I guess technically Bagley is shooting 36% from 3 and Carter is at 50%, but that's still on a fairly small sample (42 combined attempts).

But both guys are terrific passers, unbelievable offensive rebounders, and versatile scorers. It's an amazing pairing. Perhaps the best freshman low-post duo ever. It's really unbelievable. We are so lucky.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Getting Bagley was such a huge get for the team. He is an almost perfect pairing with Carter on offense. If either of them could shoot just a LITTLE bit better from distance, they'd be a perfect pairing. I guess technically Bagley is shooting 36% from 3 and Carter is at 50%, but that's still on a fairly small sample (42 combined attempts).

But both guys are terrific passers, unbelievable offensive rebounders, and versatile scorers. It's an amazing pairing. Perhaps the best freshman low-post duo ever. It's really unbelievable. We are so lucky.

Duke bigs who hit 3s...

-Laettner
-Dunleavy
...
...

[Rich]

Duke bigs who hit 3s...

-Laettner
-Dunleavy
...
...

Wasn't Mike Dunleavy more of a "3"? I don't consider him to be a "big."

Christian Laettner didn't add the 3 point shot to his repertoire until well after his freshman year.

I would add Danny Ferry and Ryan Kelly to your list but, again, I don't think it's fair to compare Bagley and Carter as freshman to the others as upperclassmen. We live in a different age and I don't think we've ever had a Big as talented as these two as freshmen, with the possible exception of Jahlil Okafor and maybe Elton Brand (and they didn't shoot 3's).

[DukieInBrasil]

Duke bigs who hit 3s...

-Laettner
-Dunleavy
...
...

add Chief Cherokee Parks to the list. He took and made a few 3s, particularly as an upperclassman..

[OldPhiKap]

Wasn't Mike Dunleavy more of a "3"? I don't consider him to be a "big."

Christian Laettner didn't add the 3 point shot to his repertoire until well after his freshman year.

I would add Danny Ferry and Ryan Kelly to your list but, again, I don't think it's fair to compare Bagley and Carter as freshman to the others as upperclassmen. We live in a different age and I don't think we've ever had a Big as talented as these two as freshmen, with the possible exception of Jahlil Okafor and maybe Elton Brand (and they didn't shoot 3's).

Ferry had an outside shot from the Get-go.

Dunleavy was a guard who had a crazy growth spurt his senior year. IIRC.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Wasn't Mike Dunleavy more of a "3"? I don't consider him to be a "big."

Christian Laettner didn't add the 3 point shot to his repertoire until well after his freshman year.

I would add Danny Ferry and Ryan Kelly to your list but, again, I don't think it's fair to compare Bagley and Carter as freshman to the others as upperclassmen. We live in a different age and I don't think we've ever had a Big as talented as these two as freshmen, with the possible exception of Jahlil Okafor and maybe Elton Brand (and they didn't shoot 3's).

Well, I included him because he hit a growth spurt and also because a one person list is lame.

Point being, these two guys knocking down threes is pretty much unprecedented at Duke. Enjoy it while we have it.

[Kedsy]

Duke bigs who hit 3s...

-Laettner
-Dunleavy
...
...

Ryan Kelly. Jabari Parker. And if Dunleavy's on your list, why isn't Shane Battier? Or any of the loads of (often undersized) "stretch 4"s we've had (e.g., Kyle Singler, Justise Winslow, Lee Melchionni, Dahntay Jones, DeMarcus Nelson).

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Ryan Kelly. Jabari Parker. And if Dunleavy's on your list, why isn't Shane Battier? Or any of the loads of (often undersized) "stretch 4"s we've had (e.g., Kyle Singler, Justise Winslow, Lee Melchionni, Dahntay Jones, DeMarcus Nelson).

*frowns* are those guys Carter/Bagley sized?

[YmoBeThere]

He’s fantastic. I love watching him play.

X2

Bagley is an incredible player but Wendell in the paint is my preference. It is a high quality problem to have...

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

*frowns* are those guys Carter/Bagley sized?

Okay DBR, I need a three dimensional graph of height, 3 pts made, and 3 pt percentage. I suspect Bagley and Carter are in a class by themselves.

[UrinalCake]

I have DeLaurier starting over bolden, and carter probably would be scoring more because when looking for a bucket he would be a bigger option.

In this world without Bagley, if Carter is playing the 5 next to Javin then he'd be double teamed every time he touched the ball. He'd probably be double teamed before he touched the ball. As I said before I think he'd get more shots but with less efficiency.

As far as his NBA draft potential, what he has working against him is that he has the game of a center but in a power forward's body. For that reason I don't see him as a top-5 pick, but definitely in the lottery. The only reason to come back would be to develop some perimeter game and maybe move into the top 5 range, but it's unlikely he'd be able to do that because he'd be playing the 5 for us on next year's roster. I'm kind of naive, every season I hold out hope that one of our elite OAD guys will surprise everyone and stay for another year. It does happen - Marcus Smart, Alonzo Trier, and Miles Bridges come to mind. But I'm not holding my breath on it happening either.

[skysdad]

Remember that before Bagley decided to go to college earlier than expected Wendell was the best big man in a lot of peoples mind so it doesn't surprise me that he's putting up really good numbers .

[curtis325]

Okay DBR, I need a three dimensional graph of height, 3 pts made, and 3 pt percentage. I suspect Bagley and Carter are in a class by themselves.

Add in a few cinder blocks and you'll have a winner.

[Kedsy]

*frowns* are those guys Carter/Bagley sized?

Kelly was. Dunleavy wasn't. Well, neither of them weighed as much as Wendell, but neither did Laettner, and at least Kelly was 6'10 (same height as Wendell, an inch shorter than Marvin; though in the NBA he's listed as 6'11" 230, so almost the exact same size as Marvin's 6'11" 234). Jabari Parker was 6'8" 235 (in NBA, listed as 6'8" 250), so a teeny bit heavier than Marvin but not as tall.

Not sure it matters what size they are, though, if they play the same position? Especially since it's unclear that attempting 1 three per game (Wendell) or 2 threes per game (Marvin) is shooting enough to be described as "hitting threes." In any event, you didn't put any qualifications on your original list (just "Duke bigs who hit 3s").

[Des Esseintes]

Kelly was. Dunleavy wasn't. Well, neither of them weighed as much as Wendell, but neither did Laettner, and at least Kelly was 6'10 (same height as Wendell, an inch shorter than Marvin; though in the NBA he's listed as 6'11" 230, so almost the exact same size as Marvin's 6'11" 234). Jabari Parker was 6'8" 235 (in NBA, listed as 6'8" 250), so a teeny bit heavier than Marvin but not as tall.

Not sure it matters what size they are, though, if they play the same position? Especially since it's unclear that attempting 1 three per game (Wendell) or 2 threes per game (Marvin) is shooting enough to be described as "hitting threes." In any event, you didn't put any qualifications on your original list (just "Duke bigs who hit 3s").

Agreed. It's actually anomalous when Duke starts a 4 who can't hit threes. For every year that we've had a Lance Thomas* at power forward, we've had two with a Battier or Winslow or a Parker.

* Pre-NBA Lance, the kind that couldn't can catch-and-shoot threes with a hand in his face. That man's growth amazes me.

[Rich]

Duke bigs who hit 3s...

-Laettner
-Dunleavy
...
...


I would add Danny Ferry and Ryan Kelly to your list but, again, I don't think it's fair to compare Bagley and Carter as freshman to the others as upperclassmen. We live in a different age and I don't think we've ever had a Big as talented as these two as freshmen, with the possible exception of Jahlil Okafor and maybe Elton Brand (and they didn't shoot 3's).


Point being, these two guys knocking down threes is pretty much unprecedented at Duke. Enjoy it while we have it.

I think we're saying the same thing, on the same page, compadres, sympatico, that sort of thing...

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I think we're saying the same thing, on the same page, compadres, sympatico, that sort of thing...

It is true, the game has changed dramatically. Twenty years ago, if a guy Carter's size had popped a three I would yell at my television something about "who is going to rebound that miss?"

I guess we have Draymond and Durant to thank for that.

[JasonEvans]

I'm kind of naive, every season I hold out hope that one of our elite OAD guys will surprise everyone and stay for another year. It does happen - Marcus Smart, Alonzo Trier, and Miles Bridges come to mind. But I'm not holding my breath on it happening either.

Not to pick nits, but Trier isn't quite like Smart and Bridges. They were both top 10 recruits and were pretty certain to go in the lottery when they surprised us all by returning to school. Trier was more like a top 20 recruit and I think most mocks had him as a late first rounder, at best, when he decided to come back to Arizona.

It would be really wonderful if Duke got a lottery-level kid back that we all expected to lose. I just can't get my hopes up about it though. The last time it happened was JWill and Carlos Boozer coming back for their junior seasons. I was sure Luol Deng would play more than 1 year and I was wrong. I salivated at the prospect of getting Shaun Livingston at Duke and he didn't even make it here for a year. It has been a while since I really got my hopes up about this and I think that the guy who has the best chance of coming back is Trent, not Carter (though I think that is a small chance). If I had to rank them in order of certainty to leave it would go:


Bagley - 100%
Carter - 95%
Duval - 90%
Trent - 75%

--Jason "must... fight... must... not... get... hopes... up......." Evans

[UrinalCake]

Bagley - 100%
Carter - 95%
Duval - 90%
Trent - 75%

I would handicap it at

Bagley 1,000%
Carter 98%
Duval 80%
Trent 60%

I think Duval’s inability to shoot are going to scare off a lot of teams, and I think Trent has been too inconsistent and his handle and athleticism are nowhere near NBA level. Both of those guys could dramatically improve their stock by returning. But again, I tend to be foolish in evaluating how likely guys are to come back. I still have not fully accepted that Frank actually left.

[DukieInBrasil]

Not to pick nits, (commences nit picking):


Bagley - 100%
Carter - 95%
Duval - 90%
Trent - 75%

--Jason "must... fight... must... not... get... hopes... up..." Evans

I'm not sure how you give Carter any chance of returning after the season he's having so far. Stranger things have happened.
I'm pretty sure Duval is gone too, despite his inability to shoot. 1st) shooting can be taught 2nd) Rajon Rondo is still in the NBA, proving that athletic, talented ball-handlers can have nice NBA careers without being good shooters.
I'm not sold on Trent yet. I know that's what the buzz is, but he seems like he's kindofa guy who is good at lots of things but not great at any. Some days he looks like a really good shooter and just an excellent all-around scorer. What does he offer at an NBA level if his shot's not falling?

I think whoever gets Carter is gonna be delighted. Sure, he's big and beefy, but his open-look 3pt shot is pretty good. With his rebounding prowess and in the paint scoring touch, adding a 3pt shot to that is pure gold.

[Rich]

Not to pick nits, but Trier isn't quite like Smart and Bridges. They were both top 10 recruits and were pretty certain to go in the lottery when they surprised us all by returning to school. Trier was more like a top 20 recruit and I think most mocks had him as a late first rounder, at best, when he decided to come back to Arizona.

It would be really wonderful if Duke got a lottery-level kid back that we all expected to lose. I just can't get my hopes up about it though. The last time it happened was JWill and Carlos Boozer coming back for their junior seasons. I was sure Luol Deng would play more than 1 year and I was wrong. I salivated at the prospect of getting Shaun Livingston at Duke and he didn't even make it here for a year. It has been a while since I really got my hopes up about this and I think that the guy who has the best chance of coming back is Trent, not Carter (though I think that is a small chance). If I had to rank them in order of certainty to leave it would go:


Bagley - 100%
Carter - 95%
Duval - 90%
Trent - 75%

--Jason "must... fight... must... not... get... hopes... up..." Evans

I recall there was a lot of surprise when Mason Plumlee came back, but I don't remember all of the circumstances or his projected draft status at the time he decided to play another year at Duke.

[uh_no]

I'm not sure how you give Carter any chance of returning after the season he's having so far. Stranger things have happened.
I'm pretty sure Duval is gone too, despite his inability to shoot. 1st) shooting can be taught 2nd) Rajon Rondo is still in the NBA, proving that athletic, talented ball-handlers can have nice NBA careers without being good shooters.
I'm not sold on Trent yet. I know that's what the buzz is, but he seems like he's kindofa guy who is good at lots of things but not great at any. Some days he looks like a really good shooter and just an excellent all-around scorer. What does he offer at an NBA level if his shot's not falling?

I think whoever gets Carter is gonna be delighted. Sure, he's big and beefy, but his open-look 3pt shot is pretty good. With his rebounding prowess and in the paint scoring touch, adding a 3pt shot to that is pure gold.

* fantastic ball handler. he has one of the lowest TO rates in the country
* athletic
* he's "only" shooting 37 % as a freshman. freshman having mildly depressed numbers is not unusual. luke shot 32 % his freshman year. grayson shot 34. his incredible FT numbers hint that he is likely a better shooter than that even.
* at 6'6 he's a great size for what he does

There's a reason projections have him on the lottery bubble. there's a huge amount of potential there.

[CDu]

* fantastic ball handler. he has one of the lowest TO rates in the country

Hmm, I'm not sure I buy this. And turnover rates for wing players who spend most of their time in catch-and-shoot roles is a pretty meaningless stat.



* athletic

I think athleticism is actually one of the concerns for Trent. For a SG/SF, he's not all that athletic. Certainly not by NBA standards.


* he's "only" shooting 37 % as a freshman. freshman having mildly depressed numbers is not unusual. luke shot 32 % his freshman year. grayson shot 34. his incredible FT numbers hint that he is likely a better shooter than that even.

His shooting is the one attribute that he has that should clearly translate. That and strength.


* at 6'6 he's a great size for what he does

There's a reason projections have him on the lottery bubble. there's a huge amount of potential there.

I'm wondering if some of that is based on his name and the program he plays for. But I don't know that at 6'6" he is a great size for NBA SF, which is his natural position.

[DukieInBrasil]

* fantastic ball handler. he has one of the lowest TO rates in the country
* athletic
* he's "only" shooting 37 % as a freshman. freshman having mildly depressed numbers is not unusual. luke shot 32 % his freshman year. grayson shot 34. his incredible FT numbers hint that he is likely a better shooter than that even.
* at 6'6 he's a great size for what he does

There's a reason projections have him on the lottery bubble. there's a huge amount of potential there.

i also disagree that we can know much about his ball handling skills as a SG/SF. That said, i like what i've seen, but he hasn't been asked to do a whole lot withe ball that would lead to turnovers. The fact that he's not committing turnovers is still nice.
I agree that his FT shooting numbers indicate that he has the potential to be a very good 3pt shooter. 37% ain't bad, but it's not great, and i doubt many guys get drafted as a OAD based solely on shooting 37% from 3.
i also disagree that 6'6 is great size for what he does. A 6'6 shooter with decent handles and some strength actually sounds like the average description of where he projects to play.

I'm not trying to say that he looks like an unworthy pick for getting drafted this year, i'm just saying that as of right now i don't see how he's done anything to set himself apart as a sure-fire pick. His FT% indicates good mechanics and potential for shooting the 3. He has some games where he's just dynamite from 3, and other 0-fer games. He kinda reminds me of JR Smith, who also just lights it up some nights and is super quiet the next.

Since this thread is about Wendell, i'll just say that everything Wendell does fits the bill of a guy who will have a successful career in the NBA.

[Troublemaker]

As far as his NBA draft potential, what he has working against him is that he has the game of a center but in a power forward's body. For that reason I don't see him as a top-5 pick, but definitely in the lottery. The only reason to come back would be to develop some perimeter game and maybe move into the top 5 range, but it's unlikely he'd be able to do that because he'd be playing the 5 for us on next year's roster. I'm kind of naive, every season I hold out hope that one of our elite OAD guys will surprise everyone and stay for another year. It does happen - Marcus Smart, Alonzo Trier, and Miles Bridges come to mind. But I'm not holding my breath on it happening either.

In today's NBA, Wendell is a center in a center's body. Even Marvin will likely see his crunch-time minutes at center since crunch-time lineups are so often small.

In any case, I agree that Wendell can be underappreciated playing next to Marvin. We're really lucky to have him, and I actually think he's even underappreciated as an NBA prospect. He's already our best shotblocker in awhile, and he'd do even more of it if Coach K used a dropback pick-n-roll coverage instead of lifting him high to prevent pull-up threes. Further, Wendell has a very nice-looking shooting stroke and might be a stretch-5 in time. He also seems to be a good passer.

[CDu]

In today's NBA, Wendell is a center in a center's body. Even Marvin will likely see his crunch-time minutes at center since crunch-time lineups are so often small.

In any case, I agree that Wendell can be underappreciated playing next to Marvin. We're really lucky to have him, and I actually think he's even underappreciated as an NBA prospect. He's already our best shotblocker in awhile, and he'd do even more of it if Coach K used a dropback pick-n-roll coverage instead of lifting him high to prevent pull-up threes. Further, Wendell has a very nice-looking shooting stroke and might be a stretch-5 in time. He also seems to be a good passer.

Was just going to say the same thing. I have never understood why folks felt Carter was naturally a college PF. His game is a classic low-post (center’s) game. He is 6’10”, 260 with a 7’3” wingspan. That is clearly center size in college and average center size in the NBA.