NEWSLETTER
Often, here at Bleacher Nation, we’ll stumble onto something great (about the league, the draft, the Bulls, a new advanced stat, etc.) and we’ll do our best to mold it into a more enjoyable, workable lens for Bulls fans, specifically.
But some other times, we come across something that’s too good to say too much … And that’s exactly what we found with The Stepien’s Cole Zwicker’s latest on Wendell Carter Jr. It’s your must-read of the day:
Latest @TheStepien: Wendell Carter — The Second Year Breakout Player https://t.co/V1kmrTEmfs
— Cole Zwicker (@colezwicker) August 7, 2019
After reading through this article, I’m officially posing a ban on all other Wendell Carter Jr. breakdowns for the remainder of the offseason.
Zwicker goes above and beyond here to pick apart practically every area of Carter’s game. And in case it wasn’t clear, that’s all to show that the Bulls center is on his way to becoming one of the league’s best. Maybe there isn’t a large pile of pessimistic thoughts about Carter Jr.’s future out there, but I do think people sleep on his value. Which is why it’s nice to see the spotlight on him for a beat.
One of my favorite points from Zwicker is about Carter Jr.’s offensive efficiency. He points out that the Bulls weren’t necessarily using him in the proper system last year, and he should be trading in his post-up work for more perimeter game-play. I’ve always thought Carter Jr. was actually a better playmaker then some give him credit for (he also is a solid ball-handler for a man his size), and Zwicker walks us through that as well.
Personally, after looking through the video clips, I would love to see Carter working at the top of the key more in some pick-and-pop situations. He has such a fluid shot form for a big man, and he could get his three-point percentage up this way.
As for his defense, Zwicker reminds us that Carter is probably ahead of his time as a rim protector. If you don’t remember how good he looked last season, definitely go check out the video clips shared, plenty of awesome swats included.
Forewarned, the read is a bit long, but I’m telling you, it’s totally worth it. I’m SUPER pumped for some Wendell basketball now!
