Wendell Carter is not know for his explosive plays.
That is one of the criticisms he always faced. He is notable for his quiet and calm on the floor and his steady contributions that do not always show up in the highlights or the box score.
So when Carter makes an emphatic statement, everyone notices. It is one of the few times everyone can feel
That is what he did in Friday's preseason win over the Philadelphia 76ers when he tallied 20 points and 13 rebounds. He put all of his power, physicality and skill on display. He looked like a new player.
It has been a standout preseason for Carter. And it is a clue to why Carter is one of the biggest keys to the Magic and their project working this season.
"He's a relentless worker," Tristan da Silva said after Friday's game in Philadelphia. "I'm not surprised, I'm happy for him. I feel like a lot of the stuff he does goes unnoticed because it's not in the stat sheet. The type of gravity he has and plays he makes off the ball and team sacrifice plays that he does, I feel it's nice to see him pop off like that."
The Magic hope that games like Friday's game are a sign of things to come. They hope that it is a sign of how active Carter will be on both sides of the ball. Carter was just as active without the stats in the preseason opener against the Miami Heat, recording two blocks in that game.
It was the kind of explosiveness the team misses. And the kind of gaps the Magic need him to fill.
The dirty work
To most fans, Wendell Carter has been something of a flash point.
He is coming off his worst season since he was traded to the Orlando Magic in 2021. Carter averaged 9.1 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game. He shot just 46.0 percent from the floor. It was a rough season that had a lot of fans itching for the more productive Goga Bitadze.
While he does not pile on the stats, teammates have long known Carter is someone who has their back at all times.
"The league values Wendell highly because Wendell does things that don't show up," president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said during media day. "He eats up people's mistakes. He can deal with the physicality of moving guys in the post. He doesn't have to block a shot. He can prevent the play from getting to where it gets for them to get a shot. He can also switch out on wings and guards. Wendell is the ultimate whatever the team needs to win, he's there to do."
Carter's versatility on defense was key to the Magic's impressive showing in the Playoffs last year. Because Orlando could lean on Carter to step out and defend the perimeter, the team could switch every screen and limit the Boston Celtics' 3-point shooting attempts.
It is this versatility that had Desmond Bane calling Wendell Carter the team's biggest X-factor. Even after he appeared to struggle last year, everyone knows how vital Carter can be.
It is about Carter being on the court and filling in those gaps, making the right screen and rolling into the right spot and converting whether it is a jumper or a shot around the basket. It is about Carter being solid on defense and providing that versatility to guard anyone and blow up actions with a switch.
And he knows what his role will be.
"My biggest expectation for this year is to be that dog night in and night out for this team," Carter said during media day. "Hit the glass shard every night, no matter what happened the night before or who we're playing. Just being that dog for this team."
Carter is vital because he is the one player who realizes his role is not in his scoring. It is in making everything easier for everyone else to operate. Carter said the team needs to stay together and have poise to achieve their goals.
Carter is the player who provides the glue to do that.
Finally Healthy
None of it matters if Carter is not on the court. That has ben the story for Carter's career at this point. Much of his impact has been stunted by his lack of availability.
Many of his struggles last year stemmed from his injury in the offseason.
Even though Carter was relatively healthy last season, playing in a career-high 68 games, he was noticeably still a step slow.
He did not have a full offseason last year because he was recovering from surgery on his left hand. He missed nearly two weeks after injurying his knee just seven games into the season.
Carter would admit it took him a while to find his energy and burst again. He may never really have found it, although he recovered enough to average a double-double in the Playoffs.
It still remains the biggest question with Carter as he enters this season.
Carter had a healthy offseason. He said that helped him prepare for the season in a different way.
"My confidence is at an all-time high right now," Carter said during media day. "I feel like I had this summer just to train. It wasn't necessarily about me becoming a better shooter, I know I can shoot. It wasn't about me being able to make moves in the post like I know I can do. It was more about me boosting my confidence. The more you work, the more you are on the court, you get out there and you feel like I know it's going in."
Rebuilding confidence is key because of how important everyone realizes Carter can be for the Magic. With all the offensive weapons the Magic have now, a confident Carter can spread the floor as a shooter and sit in the dunker spot and finish around the rim.
Carter can do anything the Magic need. His role will change each game. But his value comes because he can do it all.
Carter may not be the most showy player, but his presence will be vital to the team's championship hopes. And Carter is showing that this season will look very different for him so far through the preseason.