Orlando Magic Daily
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6 players the Orlando Magic could pick in the 2018 NBA Draft

By Philip Rossman-Reich

OMAHA, NE - MARCH 23: Wendell Carter Jr #34 of the Duke Blue Devils shoots the ball against the Syracuse Orange during the first half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center on March 23, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE - MARCH 23: Wendell Carter Jr #34 of the Duke Blue Devils shoots the ball against the Syracuse Orange during the first half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center on March 23, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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Wendell Carter Jr., C Duke

A lot of the focus for the Duke Blue Devils turned to power forward Marvin Bagley III. His scoring acumen and ability to work around the basket has made him one of the top picks in the Draft. Certainly, someone who could be available at 6 and hard to pass up.

Wendell Carter Jr. though could be the guy the Magic look to at 6. It would be a bit of a reach, but Carter is an intriguing prospect. He feels like the kind of player who fits the NBA game better than the college game. Especially since the Blue Devils had to play zone a lot to cover for Bagley’s defensive shortcomings.

It is not like Carter was some pushover. He averaged 13.5 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game. He also added 2.1 blocks per game.

Unlike Bagley, who had his struggles on the defensive end, Carter made most of his reputation on the defensive end.

This playoff season has proven how valuable big men who can move their feet and defend guards while still protecting the rim and rebounding can be. Carter is not the most athletic guy so he is not the ideal for this new NBA reality for big men. But he does a lot of the other things well.

And that includes a jumper.

Carter made 19 of 46 3-pointers (41.3 percent). Carter is not going to enter the league launching 3-pointers. But that percentage — along with his 73.8 percent free throw shooting — suggests he could develop into a 3-point shooter down the road.

No one is going to complain about that.

This kind of versatility as a big is a reason why Carter might end up being a better NBA player than college player. And why he might end up more valuable than his Duke teammate even if he puts up less impressive numbers.