Chicago Bulls send strong messages in Preseason Game 1

Wendell Carter Jr. is a man’s man

In his first true NBA action, the no. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft impressed. Former Duke standout Wendell Carter Jr. came into this one knowing he would be going up against one of the best (if not the best) big man in the game — Anthony Davis.

In 25 minutes, Carter was efficient in most realms. He finished with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, along with seven rebounds and a pair of assists. He did not, however, record a block — this was a surprise compared to what he showed us over the summer.

In the end, Carter held his own against Davis. He admitted after the game that his only focus was to get defensive stops. If he got stops, the rest would come. Per the Chicago Tribune:

"“Let me just stop him (Davis). I gotta stop him,” Carter said. “Just hold your own. Establish yourself in this league so people don’t see you as a weak link. I think I did pretty good with that. Defensively, I felt I was pretty solid, except for the one at the end.”"

As for “the one at the end,” Carter was referring to a dunk in which Chicago native Jahlil Okafor put him on a poster. Some would call this Carter’s “Welcome to the NBA” moment. Hey, at least he got it out of the way early.

For what it’s worth, Okafor left the United Center on crutches and Carter remained healthy. Carter may have lost that individual battle, but his overall performance and health are big takeaways here.