NBA Mock Draft: DeAndre Ayton joins the Hawks

I was low on Carter a few games into the season when I went away from Duke for a little while, figuring I had a decent idea about most of their prospects. But Carter answered with 14-11-2-2-2 against Mo Bamba and Texas and recently in ACC play, 14-16-4 with four blocks against Florida State. That’s two dominant performances against two of Duke’s top opponents.

Carter has found a way to fit in across from hypebeast Marvin Bagley Jr., filling in the gaps that exist when one’s teammate plays basketball like a jet ski plays water. And Carter has made a name for himself as a sturdy, all-around calming presence for the Blue Devils. He has been their most consistent and stabilizing player apart from Grayson Allen.

I’ve heard the Al Horford comparisons, and I think they’re valid. Carter is 7-of-14 on 3s this year, and that’s an area in which he could grow, but overall his ability to do a little of everything figures to translate nicely. He’s smart enough to dictate the game at the next level, and strong enough create space and time for himself to make plays. Carter is just solid.

For the most part, the biggest surprise watching him has been his under-reliance on his postgame, a trend I hope continues all the way through his professional career. Bagley posts quite a bit for Duke, leaving Carter in more of a spacing and facilitation role. He’s become a master of quick drop-in post-ups over smaller or slower players, but it does not incapacitate the offense.