Duke's Wendell Carter Announces He'll Declare For The NBA Draft
Just a couple of days after reports surfaced of Carter and his family split on whether or not he should return to Duke or declare for the NBA Draft, Carter made a decision today. On his 19th birthday he decided that he will declare for the NBA Draft.
Carter was a bit overshadowed this year at Duke, but still produced big time numbers. He averaged 13.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, despite playing alongside Marvin Bagley. At 6’10” he’s an excellent passer from both the low and high post and can even step out and shoot the ball. He’s also an excellent rim protector as he averaged over 2 blocks per game while playing the anchor position in the 2-3 zone.
I think he’s a top-10 guy in the class coming out as he can do a bit of everything. He can step out and shoot, he can rebound, he can score inside and he can protect the rim. Combine all of that with the fact he’s one of the highest basketball IQ guys in the class too and you have a top-10 guy. The only downside for him is the fact he’s in a class that’s loaded with talented bigs when you look at Ayton, Bagley and Bamba all projected to go ahead of him. That’s part of the reason as to why you thought he may have returned for another year at Duke.
Some teams to keep an eye on when it comes to drafting Carter would be the Kings, Bulls, Knicks and Clippers. As for Duke, it means they’ll have to win with a bunch of young guys and playing small ball. K typically likes to have a prototypical big out there, but this year he may not have that luxury. His best lineup figures to include Tre Jones, Cam Reddish, RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson. I assume he’ll start Marques Bolden next to those four, but someone like De Laurier or O’Connell could make up for the best lineup. They’ll still be a projected top-5 team next year, but it will also be one of the most inexperienced teams under K.
If you’re a Knicks fan, Carter should be who you want if Mikal Bridges is off the board at No. 9. He adds that rim protection and rebounding that you don’t always get with Kristaps and he’s just turning 19 today, keeping that core young with him, Kristaps and Frankie.
