Wendell Carter has not been asked to do much on offense this season.
With all the additions to the Orlando Magic's lineup, Carter's importance on offense and the shots he would get seemed set to decrease. It would allow Carter to focus more on his defense and likely leave him only with pop-out threes and putbacks around the basket.
Simplifying Carter's role seemingly would allow him to take shots that are advantageous to him and focus on his strengths. The Magic would rely on him a lot less.
That gets thrown out the window when there are injuries. Now suddenly, the Magic needed something more from Carter.
As coach Jamahl Mosley likes to say, when the team is undermanned, they need everyone to play their role and play better. They would need Carter to step up. It is indeed next man up.
In the injury-plagued game Thursday against the Denver Nuggets, Wendell Carter answered the call.
It does not take much for a player to make an impact. But Carter playing with this kind of aggression and confidence when the ball swings to him is exactly what the Magic need in this moment.
"Just being aggressive. When I had my open looks and open drives, taking them," Carter said after shootaround Saturday. "No matter if I'm making shots or missing shots, just continuing to be aggressive. Especially with guys like Franz [Wagner] and J-Suggs [Jalen Suggs] out, it is necessary for guys to continue to step up and be aggressive, no matter if you are making or missing the shots."
Carter scored a season-high 26 points on 11-for-15 shooting, making four of his six 3-pointers. In a game the Magic lost by 12 points and gave up a 28-point swing in the second quarter, Carter finished with a +7.
He had 21 points and a +13 in the second half as the Magic tried to fight their way back. He made three of his 3-pointers in that second half.
After dealing with early foul trouble trying to defend Nikola Jokic, Wendell Carter was a star in his role once the fouls were under control. He was as key as any player in keeping the Magic in the game and a consistent outlet for Paolo Banchero, accounting for six of Banchero's 10 assists, including his final five in the second half.
That is what the Magic need from Carter -- a reliable outlet. This is playing his role to the max and a good example of what the Magic need everywhere else while they are dealing with their long list of injuries.
Carter levels up
This should not be a surprise, though. Wendell Carter has turned in a very strong season on both ends.
His defensive versatility was always the biggest thing the Orlando Magic valued. What has been missing for Carter was consistency on offense. Especially coming off a frustrating season last year.
Carter's play has been one of the welcomed surprises this season.
Carter is averaging 12.3 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game. That is a return to the level the Magic expected from him outside of last season's career-low 9.1 points per game.
More importantly, Carter is shooting 44.2 percent on 3.0 3-point attempts per game and a career-high 54.2 percent from the floor overall.
"Those shots that Wendell is shooting and making are always shots we're telling him to shoot," Anthony Black said after shootaround Saturday. "He put in a good body of work this summer. He's making big shots for us. We're happy for him and we ned him to continue making those shots if we're going to keep winning."
Carter credited his offseason work for helping recover his 3-point shooting after he made only 23.4 percent of his three last year.
Carter dealt with various nagging injuries last year despite playing a career-high 68 games. He had knee issues early in the season and was dealing with a hand injury throughout the season. He still provided a solid defensive presence.
A healthy offseason helped him open the season with seemingly a lot more energy. He has looked refreshed. And he has thrived in the role the Magic have set out for him.
The ball finds the energy
But Wendell Carter is not getting most of his shots on pick and rolls or post-ups, but rather spreading his shots out through spot-up opportunities and putbacks.
He is averaging 2.7 offensive rebounds per game. Carter has been filling in wherever the team needs him.
He is the perfect player to step up with the injuries the team is facing. He is so capable of filling in those gaps.
The Orlando Magic are not running very much for him. That was expected with the offensive weapons the team added.
As Jamahl Mosley likes to say, the ball will find the energy. And it is on the players to take advantage of the right opportunities.
That is what Carter did so effectively on Thursday. If not for those poor 6.5 minutes to close the second quarter, the Orlando Magic could have easily come out with a win against the Denver Nuggets.
The key to the team's success is playing like Carter did, stepping up and into their role and performing that role better.
"Just the way we're playing when we're locked in, the flow on offense, the defense and pressure," Anthony Black said after shootaround Saturday. "Just try to continue the good things from that game and try to maximize them and level them up after this game."
The Magic will need more of that. They will need other players to step in when the ball swings to them. This is not simply Carter's responsibility.
Stars like Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane will have to do their thing -- Bane struggled especially in Thursday's loss and Banchero could not find his shooting until the second half too. They will need a lot from Black.
Carter will have his role to play too. And the next game might call for someone else to step up.
But Carter is someone the Magic have come to rely on. He has mastered and excelled in his role.