Magic Preseason Profile: Wendell Carter Jr. Trying to One-Up Himself Again

The Orlando Magic is just days away from the start of the season. What can the team expect from starting center Wendell Carter Jr.?

Jeremy Brener | Oct 7, 2022

Magic Preseason Profile: Wendell Carter Jr. Trying to One-Up Himself Again /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - Wendell Carter Jr. is gearing up for his second full season as the Orlando Magic's man in the middle, and there's potential for it to be his best showing yet.

Carter is coming off a career year, averaging 15.1 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, and he's hoping to showcase more of his leadership abilities in 2022-23.

Let's take a look back at what Carter was able to produce last year, as well as what we can look forward to seeing this season.

2021-22 Season Review

Carter played his first full season in Orlando after being traded by the Chicago Bulls in February 2021 for Nikola Vucevic.

The Magic immediately tabbed Carter as the starter and he was used a lot in the middle as the team's go-to option in the frontcourt.

On offense, Carter would shine against favorable matchups. However, given the fact the Magic finished with only 22 wins, those came few and far between.

On defense is where Carter really shows his value. He often was tasked with guarding opponent's biggest interior presence and Orlando had the 18th-best defense in the league. While this number is below league average, that number is expected to improve in the new year with fewer turnovers coming out of the offense led by Markelle Fultz and more length with Paolo Banchero added to the mix.

2022-23 Season Preview

With Banchero joining Carter in the frontcourt, the Magic is expected to play really long.

Banchero is expected to transform Orlando's offense immediately. This is going to take some pressure off Carter on offense and allow him to use that energy on defense, which should improve the Magic as a whole.

While there is a chance Carter's numbers in the box score might take a dive, he is a chameleon that can mold his game to better fit the others on the roster. If he can adapt his game to play with Banchero in the frontcourt, he can make himself one of the most important players in the rebuild for Orlando.

Check out our other Magic preseason player profiles you might have missed so far:

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Published Oct 7, 2022

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.