Wendell Carter has seemingly only faced criticism in his career.
He was too Earth-bound, unable to make the above-the-rim plays. He struggled with his jumper. He could not stay on the court as he struggled with injuries.
Carter has had his difficulties answering each one of those in kind. But really all he has done is done his work, gaining trust as a player who will make few mistakes and simply do his job.
On a team full of scorers, it seemed like Carter was set up for a big bounce-back season that would allow him to focus on his strengths and cover for his weaknesses.
He has played in 50 of the Orlando Magic’s 51 games, becoming that reliable backstop even as the defense has struggled. Even with is ups and downs, it has been a solid season for him.
He is still vital to what the team does. He is a lynchpin and key piece on defense for this team because of that versatility. And there is still another level for him to reach.
If the Magic are going to reach their next level, they will need Carter.
“I’m just trying to give this team everything that I’ve got,” Carter said after practice Tuesday. “I’ve been struggling a little bit offensively. I’ve been just trying to find ways to affect the game, control what I can control, be a good defender, being able to switch 1-5. Being able to give this team what I’ve got. I know what I can bring every night is my effort. “
Carter is still a flashpoint for many. His offense can be up and down. And while he has greatly improved from last year’s frustrating season, everyone is always looking for more offense. Carter does not look like or always play like the traditional rim-protecting center.
Carter is still working to be more for his team.
Key to the defense
The Orlando Magic have been fighting to regain their defensive identity throughout this season.
It has been easy to point to Wendell Carter as one of the reasons. He is a ground-bound center who focuses more on his positioning than on his ability to fly and block shots. He averages only 0.7 blocks per game (0.9 per 36 minutes). He averages only 7.3 rebounds per game.
That is not what fans typically expect from centers.
Still, Carter is a key to the team’s defense. His teammates view him as someone reliable and always in the right spot. He is someone who gets the box out that opens the door for a teammate to grab a rebound. Carter plays a large role with the team.
“The one thing Wendell has been is he has been consistent and available,” coach Jamahl Mosley said after practice Tuesday. “That says a lot that he has been available for us this year. For him, just continue to do the little, small dirty work things that a lot of guys don’t get credit for. It is getting the 50/50 rebounds. It is boxing one of the big centers out, so our guards can follow up and get the rebound. All of those small pieces.”
There is evidence of this dirty work.
Carter averages 2.6 box outs per game, according to NBA.com’s tracking stats. That is the seventh-best average in the league this season.
Orlando has a 71.3 percent defensive rebound rate when Carter is on the floor, nearly a half percentage point better than the team’s overall sterling average (the team is fourth in the league in defensive rebound rate).
The Magic also have a 112.0 defensive rating with Carter on the floor, trailing only Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner among starters.
Carter is not flying around and grabbing loud rebounds or swatting shots out of bounds (opponent still shoot 57.3 percent at the rim against him).
That might still be his shortcoming. But every player knows he has their back. He is their security blanket.
“I don’t think he gets enough credit for what he is doing on the court,” Noah Penda said after practice Tuesday. “I see a lot of people criticize who he is as a player. I just don’t understand it sometimes. I think people don’t know what he is asked to do. I think he is one of the best in the league at what he is asked to do. You have those players when they are on the court, you are reassured of how the defense is going to go because they are on the court.”
If the Magic are at their best defensively, it is often because Carter is a brick wall. He is tough to move, challenging shots and clearing the way for others to defend with intensity and pressure.
That is where Carter stands out most.
A stronger season
With other players locked into long-term contracts, Wendell Carter has a lot of attention on him. He needs to play his role and star in that role to keep agitated fans from getting too upset.
The last few games have been rough for him — he had four points and eight rebounds in Monday’s win and has not scored in double figures since posting 23 points and seven rebounds against the Toronto Raptors.
But no matter how you cut it, Carter has had a bounce-back season.
After averaging 9.1 points per game and shooting 23.4 percent from three last season, he is averaging 11.7 points per game and shooting 33.7 percent from three.
He still has had some big swings offensively. And he still has a lot to prove, especially against elite competition. Like so many elements of this Magic team, the proof will come in the Playoffs, a place where Carter was one of the few players to acquit himself well last year.
No one is harder on himself than Wendell Carter. It is easy to see how he can sometimes let his body language and energy drop when he misses a few shots. That has always been something that he fights.
Like everyone else on the team, he is trying not to let offensive struggles affect his defense. Especially for Carter, that is critical because so much of his role starts on defense.
This team’s recovery will start with Carter setting a good backstop. When he is locked in, the Magic are a tough team to beat. There is indeed another level to get to.
Carter will play a big role in getting the team there.