Magic Center Wendell Carter Jr. 'Doesn't Know How Good He Is', Says Coach Jamahl Mosley

Wendell Carter Jr. scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the Orlando Magic's 126-114 win over the Miami Heat.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 13, 2023

Magic Center Wendell Carter Jr. 'Doesn't Know How Good He Is', Says Coach Jamahl Mosley /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - It's safe to say the Orlando Magic missed Wendell Carter Jr. this past week.

Carter Jr. sat out the first three games of the Magic's homestand with a hip injury and lost each contest. But in his return Saturday night, Carter Jr. shined with a team-high 27 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Magic to victory against the Miami Heat.

His performance drew praise from Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley.

"He doesn't know how good he is," Mosley said. "That's the crazy part. This young man is special. You talk about his defensive presence, his offensive presence, his toughness, the voice and the resiliency he brings to that locker room. He's a warrior."

Carter Jr. has battled injuries throughout the season, missing 24 games, but his confidence is growing. His numbers are nearly identical to what he posted last season, but defensively there has been growth in his game.

"If I miss one or two shots, I start to defer away from shots on the offensive end," Carter Jr. said. "Defensively, that's kinda where I hang my hat. Night in, night out, no matter what happens on the offensive end individually, I just try to help my team get stops, get rebounds, set great screens for other guys to get open and let the game come to me."

On the surface, when many people think of the Magic, Carter Jr. isn't the first player to come to mind. But players like him are what make the difference between good and great teams, and Carter Jr.'s growth will ultimately determine how far the Magic can go in its ascent towards becoming one of the league's best teams.

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Published Mar 13, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.