RADIO
Wendell Carter Jr. 2019 Player Outlook
5 years agoChicago Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. had a solid rookie campaign in 2018-19 until a left thumb surgery ended his season in January. He ended up averaging 10.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game on 48.5 percent shooting in 44 outings. He showed good potential of becoming a double-double machine early on, but he was limited to only 25.2 minutes a night. Carter Jr. also underwent core-muscle surgery during the offseason, so there will be some questions regarding his healthy early in 2019-20. He won't miss any action, but having trouble with injuries so early in his career certainly isn't a good sign. With that said, if it wasn't for the thumb injury, Carter Jr. looked nailed on to get an All-Rookie Team selection. His minutes will surely rise in 2019-20, as the Bulls lack depth at the center position, and if Carter Jr. manages to stay healthy, it could be a very productive sophomore year for him. He'll boost his rebounding numbers and being a decent free throw shooter for his size -- Carter Jr. shot just below 80 percent at the line last season -- will help the Atlanta-born center rack up points. He's also a very good defender and thus we can expect him to improve his blocks (1.3) and steals (0.6) numbers as well.
