NBA Draft Analysis: The Dallas Mavericks Should Consider Wendell Carter

Skill Set

Wendell Carter is not just physically gifted, he also possess a great inside-out game that is rapidly developing. With great touch on the inside, footwork, and an advanced post repertoire. Carter also sports a very nice jump shot with range out to three. He has a lot of potential, but can also contribute immediately as well.

Inside Offense

One of the things Wendell Carter brings is his offensive polish in the paint. He is an excellent post scorer who has a very good repertoire that he uses to punish opponents inside. He is able to use his strength to establish position and score through contact.

Carter was assisted on 62.4% of his shots at the rim, proving that he is more than capable of creating for himself in the post. His post skills are very well developed at this point as he is able to use hook shots, spin moves, etc. as part of his repertoire. Even though he was kind of the odd man out at Duke, he found ways to score off cuts and hustle plays and when Duke did feed him the ball, he took full advantage.

Outside Offense and Playmaking

Here is where Carter shows great potential. He possesses a promising jumper with range out to three. Although it was a small sample (19 made on 46 attempts), his mechanics look sound, with good rotation and release. He also showed potential at the charity stripe, converting on a very good 73.8 free throw percentage.

Carter has shown he can hit the midrange and he is consistent, converting 36.8 percent of his two point jumpers on 95 attempts. One thing that is remarkable about this is that he was assisted on 42.9% of his two point jump shot attempts (stats provided by Hoops Math.com). This shows that he can look for his own shot on the elbows. Carter has the potential to be a pick n’ roll/pick n’ pop threat in the NBA, and that is very valuable in today’s game.

Another thing Wendell Carter brings to the table is a healthy dose of playmaking ability. Wendell Carter was the best among the top big men in the class in assists with 3.0 per 40 minutes (Sports-reference.com). Although he had a 1/1 assist-turnover ratio, he still showed good vision, patience, and a high basketball IQ. This is a very good sign, and with a good, slashing point guard (*cough* *cough* Dennis Smith Jr *cough*), Carter will become a very good passer in time.

Fit with the Mavericks

Carter would be a great fit for Dallas. He could immediately provide rim protection and rebounding on the defensive end, while spacing the floor on the other end. He can interchange positions as well, playing center with Harrison Barnes at power forward, playing the four with Noel (if he stays in Dallas, which is unlikely), or interchange between the two positions with Dirk Nowitzki.

Final Thoughts

It’s understandable that the Mavericks would love to grab Mohamed Bamba. I too, want him to fall to Dallas. But Atlanta may choose a big man, and it could very well be Bamba. Jackson could be an option, but he is still too raw and unpolished. Michael Porter is a great prospect, but it all depends on his medicals and Harrison Barnes is already in Dallas. I wouldn’t say much about Young because of Dennis Smith. I’m not saying that the Mavericks must pick Carter, but if Bamba is off the board, he should be highly considered with the pick.

Next: 2017-18 Regular Season Player Review: Guards

All statistics have been provided by Hoop-Math.com and Sports-reference.com.