Wendell Carter Jr. of the Chicago Bulls will reportedly miss the next four-to-six weeks following a severe right ankle sprain suffered against the Dallas Mavericks in Monday's game, according to Bulls beat writer Cody Westerlund:
#Bulls announce Wendell Carter Jr. will miss 4-6 weeks with a "severe" right ankle sprain.
— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) January 10, 2020
Carter Jr. only played in 44 games last season due to injury, which means that the 20-year-old former Duke Blue Devil will likely be saddled with the “injury prone” tag unless he’s able to stay healthy once he returns.
Across his two seasons in the NBA, Carter Jr. has only played in 81 total games – totaling 2219 minutes of action. After only playing 1110 minutes last season in his rookie year, Carter Jr. has played one less minute so far in 2019-20 at 1109. However, his role has been elevated, and he was playing 30 minutes per game before he suffered the serious injury.
Before the injury occurred, Carter’s numbers were better all-around following a disheartening rookie campaign in which he averaged 10.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. This season, Carter was up to 11.7 points per game to go along with 9.9 rebounds per game, 1.2 assists per game, 0.8 steals per game and 0.9 blocks per game.
The Bulls have not been a particularly engaging team this season, as some young players have not quite lived up to expectations. Despite that, former No. 7 overall pick Carter Jr. has been a bright spot for a Bulls team that clearly needs some positivity.
Though Zach LaVine is a gifted scorer and a potential All-Star in a diluted Eastern Conference, Carter Jr. is likely the team’s best chance for the future along with Coby White and Lauri Markkanen.
Follow Us
Subscribe