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NBA Draft prospect profile: Wendell Carter Jr. could be next Nikola Jokic

By Rylan Stiles

DURHAM, NC - DECEMBER 02: Duke's Wendall Carter, Jr. dunks the ball during the Duke Blue Devils game versus the South Dakota Coyotes on December 2, 2017 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC. Duke won the game 96-80. (Photo by Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - DECEMBER 02: Duke's Wendall Carter, Jr. dunks the ball during the Duke Blue Devils game versus the South Dakota Coyotes on December 2, 2017 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC. Duke won the game 96-80. (Photo by Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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WINSTON-SALEM, NC – JANUARY 23: Duke’s Trevon Duval (1) uses a pick set by Wendall Carter, Jr. (34). The Wake Forest University Demon Deacons hosted the Duke University Blue Devils on January 23, 2018 at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC in a Division I men’s college basketball game. Duke won the game 84-70. (Photo by Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
WINSTON-SALEM, NC – JANUARY 23: Duke’s Trevon Duval (1) uses a pick set by Wendall Carter, Jr. (34). The Wake Forest University Demon Deacons hosted the Duke University Blue Devils on January 23, 2018 at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC in a Division I men’s college basketball game. Duke won the game 84-70. (Photo by Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Skills:

Wendell Carter Jr. is a very good athlete. He is very quick, and has an ability to stretch the floor. Stretching the floor is key in today’s NBA, and his ability as a scorer, and refined passer for a big man, makes him one of the top players in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Even while playing next to another elite big man, Marvin Bagley III, Wendell Carter Jr. was still able to muscle down rebounds at a great rate. His size on the defensive side of the ball allows him to stay on the floor, even when matched up with someone small and/or faster. His length allows him to makeup for losing a step on a guy.

Weaknesses:

Like most 19 year olds, some of the bigger moments during his freshman season at Duke got to Wendell Carter Jr. He would settle of bad shots, and play out of control at times. With maturity, and being in an NBA system, this can easily be fixed.

Another knock on Wendell Carter Jr. is his shot is clunky. He needs to work on his mechanics, which again, could be an easy fix once he begins working with NBA coaches.

At the NBA Combine:

Wendell Carter Jr. did attend the NBA Combine in Chicago. However, he did not play in the four NBA combine scrimmages, or go through drills. Wendell Carter Jr., like Collin Sexton, and other prospects just used this gathering to give the NBA their official measurements, and meet with teams.

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