Magic Preseason Profile: Wendell Carter Jr. Trying to One-Up Himself Again
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ORLANDO - Wendell Carter Jr. is gearing up for his second full season as the Orlando Magic's man in the middle, and there's potential for it to be his best showing yet.
Carter is coming off a career year, averaging 15.1 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, and he's hoping to showcase more of his leadership abilities in 2022-23.
Let's take a look back at what Carter was able to produce last year, as well as what we can look forward to seeing this season.
2021-22 Season Review
Carter played his first full season in Orlando after being traded by the Chicago Bulls in February 2021 for Nikola Vucevic.
The Magic immediately tabbed Carter as the starter and he was used a lot in the middle as the team's go-to option in the frontcourt.
On offense, Carter would shine against favorable matchups. However, given the fact the Magic finished with only 22 wins, those came few and far between.
On defense is where Carter really shows his value. He often was tasked with guarding opponent's biggest interior presence and Orlando had the 18th-best defense in the league. While this number is below league average, that number is expected to improve in the new year with fewer turnovers coming out of the offense led by Markelle Fultz and more length with Paolo Banchero added to the mix.
2022-23 Season Preview
With Banchero joining Carter in the frontcourt, the Magic is expected to play really long.
Banchero is expected to transform Orlando's offense immediately. This is going to take some pressure off Carter on offense and allow him to use that energy on defense, which should improve the Magic as a whole.
While there is a chance Carter's numbers in the box score might take a dive, he is a chameleon that can mold his game to better fit the others on the roster. If he can adapt his game to play with Banchero in the frontcourt, he can make himself one of the most important players in the rebuild for Orlando.
Check out our other Magic preseason player profiles you might have missed so far:
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