The Sixer Sense
Fansided

2018 NBA Draft Big Board 7.0

By Christopher Kline

Real Madrid's Slovenian Luka Doncic reacts during the Euroleague Final Four finals basketball match between Real Madrid and Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul at The Stark Arena in Belgrade on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images)
Real Madrid's Slovenian Luka Doncic reacts during the Euroleague Final Four finals basketball match between Real Madrid and Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul at The Stark Arena in Belgrade on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images) /
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OMAHA, NE – MARCH 25: Wendell Carter, Jr. #34 of the Duke Blue Devils concentrates at the free throw line against the Kansas Jayhawks during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional Final at CenturyLink Center on March 25, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE – MARCH 25: Wendell Carter, Jr. #34 of the Duke Blue Devils concentrates at the free throw line against the Kansas Jayhawks during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional Final at CenturyLink Center on March 25, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

Carter was overshadowed by other five-star talent at Duke, but he remains one of several elite bigs in a frontcourt-heavy lottery discussion. Given the versatility of his skill set offensively, it shouldn’t be hard to build around him (or have him fit next to others) on that side of the ball.

Standing 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, Carter has an NBA-ready body and an elite post-up game, combining high-level footwork and soft touch on the block. He’s also a solid passer, earning him comparisons to Al Horford. He projects as a capable spot-up shooter from three-point range.

Defensively, the primary concern with Carter is his lateral quickness. He struggled to defend in space at Duke, which is an issue in the spaced-out version of today’s NBA. He’s a plus athlete and one of the highest-I.Q. bigs in the draft, though, so there’s reason to believe that part of his game can improve.