Wendell Carter Jr. Is Doing the Dirty Work - And That’s Exactly What the Magic Need
Wendell Carter Jr. has heard the noise.
He’s been labeled as too ground-bound to be a modern center, knocked for his inconsistent shooting, and questioned for his ability to stay healthy. But while the critiques have piled up over the years, Carter’s response hasn’t been flashy quotes or highlight-reel plays.
It’s been consistency. It’s been effort.
It’s been showing up and doing the work - the kind that doesn’t always show up on a stat sheet but wins the respect of teammates and coaches alike.
Now, in a season where the Orlando Magic have taken a noticeable step forward, Carter has quietly been one of the stabilizing forces behind it. He’s played in 50 of the team’s 51 games - a major turnaround from his injury-riddled past - and even as the defense has had its inconsistencies, Carter has remained a reliable anchor.
And make no mistake: if the Magic are going to take another leap, Carter is going to be a big part of that.
“I’m just trying to give this team everything that I’ve got,” Carter said after Tuesday’s practice. “I’ve been struggling a little bit offensively.
I’ve been just trying to find ways to affect the game, control what I can control, be a good defender, being able to switch 1-5. Being able to give this team what I’ve got.
I know what I can bring every night is my effort.”
That quote tells you a lot about who Carter is - a player who knows his strengths, owns his weaknesses, and embraces the grind. He’s not chasing All-Star headlines. He’s chasing impact.
The Defensive Backbone
The Magic have been trying to reestablish their defensive identity this season, and while there have been lapses, Carter has remained a core piece of that puzzle. He’s not the kind of center who’s going to rack up chase-down blocks or sky for 15 boards a night. But what he does bring is positioning, communication, and toughness.
He’s the guy who boxes out so someone else can grab the rebound. He’s the guy who switches onto guards and holds his own. He’s the guy who does the little things that don’t make the highlight reel - but win possessions.
“The one thing Wendell has been is he has been consistent and available,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “That says a lot that he has been available for us this year.
For him, just continue to do the little, small dirty work things that a lot of guys don’t get credit for. It is getting the 50/50 rebounds.
It is boxing one of the big centers out so our guards can follow up and get the rebound. All of those small pieces.”
The numbers back that up. Carter is averaging 2.6 box outs per game - seventh in the league - and Orlando’s defensive rebound rate climbs to 71.3% when he’s on the floor. That’s nearly half a percentage point better than their already top-tier team average.
Opponents are still shooting 57.3% at the rim against him - not elite, but Carter’s impact isn’t just about contesting shots. It’s about being in the right place, holding his ground, and allowing the rest of the defense to fly around him. The Magic’s 112.0 defensive rating with Carter on the court trails only Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner among starters.
That’s not a coincidence.
“I don’t think he gets enough credit for what he is doing on the court,” said rookie Noah Penda. “I see a lot of people criticize who he is as a player.
I just don’t understand it sometimes. I think people don’t know what he is asked to do.
I think he is one of the best in the league at what he is asked to do.”
That’s the thing about Carter - he’s not being asked to be Joel Embiid or Rudy Gobert. He’s being asked to be Wendell Carter Jr. And within that role, he’s thriving.
Offense Still a Work in Progress
Offensively, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. After a frustrating 2022-23 campaign where he shot just 23.4% from deep and averaged 9.1 points per game, Carter has bounced back to 11.7 points per game on 33.7% shooting from three. That’s a significant improvement and a sign that he’s regaining confidence in his shot.
Still, the production has been up and down. He had just four points and eight rebounds in Monday’s win and hasn’t hit double figures since a 23-point outburst against Toronto. The offensive consistency isn’t quite there yet - and Carter knows it.
No one is harder on him than he is.
He wears his misses. You can see it in his body language when shots don’t fall early.
But he’s working to keep that from bleeding into the rest of his game. Because for Carter, it all starts on the defensive end.
And when he’s locked in, the Magic are a different team.
This Orlando squad isn’t built around a single superstar. It’s built on collective effort, on players embracing their roles, on defense and depth.
And in that kind of ecosystem, Carter’s value can’t be overstated. He’s the backstop.
The switchable big. The guy who does the dirty work so others can shine.
The Next Step
There’s still another level for Carter to reach. He knows it.
The team knows it. And with the Magic eyeing a postseason push, that next level could be the difference in a playoff series.
Carter was one of the few players who held his own in the postseason last year. That experience matters. And if Orlando is going to make real noise this spring, they’ll need Carter to be the steady force in the middle - the one who doesn’t need the spotlight, but always seems to be in the right place at the right time.
He may not be the loudest name on the roster, but make no mistake: Wendell Carter Jr. is essential to what the Magic are building.
And he’s not done yet.