5. Wendell Carter Jr, C, Chicago Bulls
Carter may not be the most stunning physical specimen or post the most gaudy statistical numbers, but few of his fellow rookies look like a better fit for the scheme they’re entering than Carter on the Bulls. He may not have the draw that Marvin Bagley or Mohamed Bamba do, but he is probably more likely to have a productive year.
The main reason to buy Carter stock is that his fit in Chicago’s offense is pretty solid. While his pairing with Lauri Markkanen doesn’t exactly evoke memories of the Tom Thibodeau heyday on defense, the value of Carter’s ball-handling next to Markkanen’s shooting gives the Bulls multiple pick-and-pop threats that can capitalize on those advantage situations. Carter’s passing on the short roll to Markkanen on the opposite wing should be a deadly combination, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Chicago try to get the ball in his hands a lot to make good use of his passing touch.
Carter already turned heads at Summer League, showing off his innate understanding of the game and putting up the numbers to match, making All-Summer League First Team by averaging 14.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. He looked stronger and more mobile than originally thought, and appears to truly be “NBA ready.” There are other higher-ceiling players on this list that are more likely to win the award, but Carter could be the most valuable rookie, and capitalize if others struggle.