Bulls Select Wendell Carter Jr. with No. 7 Pick in 2018 NBA Draft
The Bulls selected Duke's Wendell Carter Jr. with the No. 7 pick in the 2018 NBA draft.
The Georgia native was ranked the top power forward in the country in high school. The five-star recruit also earned earned a spot on the McDonald's All-America team. He chose the Blue Devils over Harvard as well as Georgia Tech and Georgia.
In his rookie season, Carter managed to average impressive numbers despite being in Marvin Bagley III's shadow. He averaged 13.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. He also averaged 9.1 rebounds per game, which helped him earn 16 double-doubles by the end of the season. Carter and Bagley lead Duke to the Elite Eight before Kansas earned an 85-81 victory in overtime.
Jeremy Woo's Grade:
Given the health concerns surrounding Michael Porter Jr., Carter was the clear best option on the board for Chicago and is one of the safest players in the entire draft to become a longtime, productive pro. I’ve viewed him as an ideal partner for Lauri Markkanen all along — if you’re going to play big and win in the NBA, your bigs need to be skilled and capable of shooting the three. Carter is as well-rounded a player as there is in the draft, and while he’s not an explosive leaper, it won’t inhibit him from reaching his potential. The Bulls get a quality player that should become a starter early in his career and contribute directly to winning games, and has more long-term potential than some perceive. Grade: A
Woo broke down Carter's strengths and weaknesses ahead of the draft.
Strengths
• Developed offensive skill set, comfortable scoring with his back to the basket and finishing with either hand. Projectable, sound jump shooter (41.3% from three).
• Instinctive rebounder. Wide frame and long arms (7’3” wingspan, 9’0” standing reach).
• Competitive with an advanced feel. Finds spots in the defense for easy baskets. Plus passer. Adapted well to a supporting role next to Marvin Bagley.
• Strong positional shot-blocker (7.6% block rate). Good team defender. Likes physicality.
Weaknesses
• Lacks great quickness off the floor. Can have trouble finishing in traffic and when defense has time to get set. Underwhelming post-up scoring efficiency (0.753 points per possession).
• Lateral agility is average. May have issues defending in space in wide-open play. Probably needs to defend centers.
• Without elite athletic ability star upside may be capped, though he should be extremely serviceable regardless
