2018 NBA Mock Draft: Where do Doncic, Ayton and Bagley land?

Somehow, a tweet from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony over the weekend documenting Mo Bamba’s improved jump shot actually prompted me to think more about Carter and less about Bamba himself.

In my mind, Bamba’s jumper was only slightly worse than Carter’s technically, and anyone who was worried about whether Bamba could be a floor-spacer at the NBA level should think hard about the same potential for Carter. The freshman shot 19-46 from 3 this season, hardly a sample we can draw much from at all, despite the overall efficiency appearing positive. Carter’s windup is long, and the trigger is delayed — it often appears Duke’s no-stretch philosophy gets into his head when he is open.

The Cavs need help, whether they lose LeBron James or not, and especially if they keep James, whatever form their help comes from better be able to make open shots. It’s a prerequisite for playing next to James, and it’s still a question mark for Carter.

However, the other stuff would be so valuable that you can’t pass him up. He could fill Tristan Thompson’s role on the offensive glass and as a passer on the short roll, plus the role Jae Crowder was supposed to fill as 3-and-D protection for Kevin Love.