TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: (EDITOR'S NOTE:THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN CONVERTED TO BLACK AND WHITE) Wendell Carter Jr. of the Chicago Bulls poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 12, 2018 in Tarrytown, New York.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Chicago Bulls rookie Wendell Carter Jr. continues to impress the Bulls and the NBA with his third consecutive double-double for the team.
Chicago Bulls rookie center Wendell Carter Jr. continues to impress and Wednesday night was no different. Getting his third consecutive double-double in another early season close-knit loss, Carter was the player of the game for the Bulls against the Pelicans.
Scoring 17 points with 11 rebounds, the rookie continued to ball out. Carter was one of four of the Bulls starters to score at least 17 points in a game where the Bulls fought hard but would end up falling 107-98.
While one could argue that Jabari Parker, who had by far his best game as a Bull, putting together his own double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds, was the player of the game, Carter’s impact was even bigger. As Carter continued to show the impact he has not only on offense but on defense as well (recording three blocks and one steal), it was clear that he was the player of the game. Parker simply didn’t add the same level of defensive intensity as Wendell did.
If you compare the two players, Carter was also more efficient than Parker. Carter’s 17 points came in just 29 minutes of action on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and 1-of-2 from beyond the arc, while Parker scored his 20 points in 35 minutes of action on 7-of-14 shooting from the field and 0-of-3 from 3-point range. Had Carter played as many minutes as Parker, he likely would have scored even more.
Either way, both players played really great games and despite the loss, the Bulls showed – as they have throughout most of their first 12 games – that they can stay competitive against a lot of teams. It’s just a matter of playing the whole 48 minutes and not taking any plays off.
This game is also just the latest example of what a great pick Carter was for the Bulls and the insane potential he has as the team’s center of the present and future.