But one of the few bright spots for the franchise has been rookie Wendell Carter. The former Duke big man is ranked seventh in rebounding percentage league wide. With the Bucks Front Office still amazed that he was available at the seventh overall spot in last year's draft, Carter has shown he has a natural instinct on the boards. On the season, he is averaging 7.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.5 steals in 26.3 minutes per game, shooting 41.0 % from the field, 53.7 % from the free throw line and 29.8 % from three-point range. Defensively, he is stopping just 41.3 % of the 3.4 drives he faces per game and allowing 0.915 points per shot faced.
Looking at his monthly output, Carter's first month was outstanding on the boards but awful on offense, and from then on he has improved his efficiency while going from outstanding to just great on the glass. In November, playing 26 minutes per game, Carter averaged 5.53 points, 9.88 rebounds and 33.94 % shooting. December saw his playing time slightly increase to 26.57 minutes per contest, averaging 8.21 points on 45.83 % shooting and 8.21 rebounds. The new year started for Carter with 7.44 points on 27.11 minutes per game, shooting 43.85 % from the field and grabbing 8.61 rebounds. His playing time dipped in February at just 24 minutes per game, scoring 8.33 points on 43.62 % from the field and getting 8.25 rebounds per contest.
So while is still very early in Carter's career, he seems to be one of those few players who make a difference without the need to score the ball. His dominance on the boards at such a young age (12.1 rebounds per 36 minutes) and with just four months of pro experience suggest the Bucks found (or were allowed to find by the six teams drafting before them) a gem for the next decade and a fundamental piece of the Bucks future.Chris Duhon wrote:We are very pleased with Wendell's playing. He still has a lot to learn, and losing so many games is not easy for someone coming from a successful college program. He has integrated extremely well into the team, he has a great relationship with his teammates despite the team's performance and that is also something with value about him. He is very consistent and has a great work ethic, so there is nothing not to like about him. Of course we know his limitations, but the good part is that he is also conscious about them. He will never be a leading scorer, but Ben Wallace was never one, neither.