About an hour before tip-off before Saturday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, Wendell Carter took the court for his regular shooting slot.
He went through a series of drills that he normally would do before a game. He did a series of ball-handling drills. Then he took the court to get some shots up – some from the corner for three then moving up to the wing. Then he went to the post and started going through various post moves with an assistant coach providing some resistance.
In the process of players returning from injury, returning to the pregame shooting slot and getting this part of the routine down is one of the last signs that a return is near. Just as the upgrade from OUT or DOUBTFUL to QUESTIONABLE on the injury report is a sign that a player is returning.
And Wendell Carter is nearing a return.
For the third straight game, Carter is listed as QUESTIONABLE for Monday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets as he recovers from plantar fasciitis. Coach Jamahl Mosley said before Saturday’s game that he went through a “strenuous” on-court workout Saturday.
Carter’s return will surely spark a question: Who is the right starting center for the Orlando Magic?
Fans are already debating it as Goga Bitadze has been more than serviceable starting at center. Like he did last year, the Magic have thrived with him starting at center.
Statistically, there has been little to separate the two.
Bitadze is averaging 9.6 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game since entering the starting lineup. Carter is averaging 8.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Bitadze has the edge on blocks with 1.7 per game since entering the starting lineup compared to 0.4 per game for Carter. But Carter is a better defender at the rim – allowing only 50.0 percent shooting at the rim compared to Bitadze’s 58.5 percent since entering the starting lineup.
The difference between the two is a matter of style.
Bitadze gets the highlight-reel, above-the-rim blocks and dunks while Carter is better positionally and on the glass because he gets to his spots early. Carter is a more versatile player on both ends with his ability to guard the perimeter and hit threes (at least theoretically a 2-for-16 start mirrors the team’s overall struggles).
They both have positive impacts on offense and defense.
No one will envy Mosley this decision of who to start and who to trust. Both have earned and deserved playing time. And the Magic likely will start Carter when he returns (or gets up to full speed) because he is plenty effective.
But the Magic should still have Bitadze on call. They will still need him for the rest of the season. And he has earned minutes and a rotation spot even if the Magic cannot give it to him.
The real question this debate for this season asks is what kind of starting center the Magic need for their long-term future. There is value in the above-the-rim, rim-protection type that Bitadze provides.
Although Carter signed a new extension, he is still seemingly auditioning to keep his job as this team gets closer to title contention.
Orlando may answer the debate in the short term with who they choose to start as Carter returns. But the debate will rage on.
