Wendell Carter receives the ultimate compliment from Nikola Jokic

Every team has a fifth option offensively that sometimes leaves fans wanting a bit more.

Wendell Carter is not the favorite player among fans. He has likely fulfilled his biggest draft criticism as a Jack of all trades, master of none. There is nothing that he does that is flashy or stands out.

He can hit threes, but he could still be a bit better. He rebounds well, but does not rack up gaudy rebounding numbers. He is a great defender, but not a great shot blocker.

Carter's play often remains understated and quiet. He does the dirty work between plays that casual fans rarely notice.

His teammates know how vital he is. And those around the league know how difficult he can be to go against.

Carter is not about to make an All-Defensive team because he does not do the loud things particularly well. But he remains solid and someone that make an impact in his own way. He has proven already he can anchor an elite defense.

Opponents recognize how tough he can be.

When it comes to centers, no one's opinion is more serious than Nikola Jokic's. He listed Carter as one of his toughest defenders in the league in a recent appearance on the Serbian Jaomile Podcast:

"Who guards me the best? Everybody! The league is just as talented defensively as it is offensively. Ivica Zubac and Jusuf Nurkic, they’re chubby like me, so it’s hard for me to move them. Rudy Gobert: I know people say all kinds of things about him, but I think he’s a great defender. He showed that in the last playoffs. Jalen Duren from Detroit, Wendell Carter Jr, they’re smaller and tough to deal with. The entire Oklahoma City team... Victor Wembanyama."

The interviewer certainly teed Jokic up by asking who is tough to play against, given that Jokic scores with ease and pours in triple-doubles on a nightly basis.

Jokic ran through a long list of centers he goes up against. He has a lot of respect for his opponents.

Carter is just not the firs tname many people think of when they think of the best defenders in the league. Someone who would register for a player as grat as Jokic is.

Last year, against the Magic, Jokic averaged 28.5 points, 16.0 rebounds and 12.5 assists per game. He has averaged 20.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game in 21 games against the Magic, most of them with Carter on the team.

That hardly sounds like good defense.

But Carter's story is a bit different. Even against an elite player, this is a good compliment to receive. And one that is warranted.

Carter vs. Jokic

Wendell Carter has long been one of the best defenders against Nikola Jokic.

Jokic puts numbers up on everybody, so they always look good. But Carter's versatility and strength to get under Jokic and push him off spots. He does not move when Jokic tries to get physical, making Carter a solid defender against any center.

Last year, Jokic scored just 18 points on 6-for-13 shooting in 14.5 minutes matched up against each other, according to NBA.com's tracking data. He had 14 total assists in the two games against Carter. That included a 1-for-5 effort from Jokic in the late-December Orlando Magic win at the Kia Center.

Among players who had at least 10 matchup minutes against Jokic last year, Carter's defense ranked fourth in points allowed. Only Oso Ighadaro, Al Horford and Anthony Davis gave up fewer points to Nikola Jokic in the direct matchup.

Carter actually outscored Jokic in their direct matchups with 24 points in the two games last year. They were directly matched up in the ninth-most minutes of any defensive matchup for Carter last year.

It is not uncommon for Carter to get his licks in on Jokic.

In 2025, Jokic scored 25 points on 9-for-12 shooting in 12:22 against Carter. In 2023, Jokic scored 18 points and dished out 10 assists on 8-for-16 shooting in 16:44 against Carter. Carter missed both games against the Nuggets in the 2024 season.

Jokic is an elite player. He beats up on everybody. But Carter clearly makes things harder for him.

Carter's defense

The complaints about Wendell Carter's defense mostly center on his inability to make the loud, rim-rattling plays that get on highlight reels. Nobody seems afraid of going at Carter.

He averaged a fairly pedestrian 7.4 rebounds per game and posted only 0.6 blocks per game. He has averaged 1.0 block per game or more just once in his career.

Last year, opponents shot 58.6 percent at the rim against Carter, according to data from Second Spectrum. That ranked 22nd out of 38 players who faced at least 3.0 field goal attempts per game at the rim and played at least 24.0 minutes per game.

The Magic were top five in the leauge in defensive rebound rate. Even if Carter is not grabbing rebounds, he has contributed to the team being solid on the glass.

In many ways, Carter's stats put him squarely at league average. He is someone who does not stand out.

But, Carter's impact can be felt everywhere. He is a security blanket because he is in the right spots and allowed the Magic to use multiple coverages because he could switch onto the perimeter and defend guards.

According to Synergy Sports, Carter ranked very good at defending the ball handler in pick and rolls and in isolation -- giving up .836 and .832 points per possession on each play type. He is an above-average post defender too.

Orlando had a 111.3 defensive rating with Wendell Carter on the floor, ranking fourth among the team's regular rotation players (but notably behind Goga Bitadze). The Magic had a 113.3 defensive rating with Carter off the floor -- a mark only bested by Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner among rotation players.

Carter is as solid as they come. Even if he is not making the highlight plays that many associate with strong defense.

Orlando will still need more from Carter. The team needs a more consistent offensive output from him and for him to be a bigger presence in the paint.

But the Magic get a lot from him defensively as it is

It is good to see him get recognition for those efforts.

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