Bub Carrington Handling Increased Responsibility For Washington

When Carlton “Bub” Carrington was drafted with the last pick in last June’s lottery and was traded to the Washington Wizards, he joined a talented backcourt consisting of veterans Jordan Poole and Malcolm Brogdon. Also joining them was Johnny Davis, the tenth overall pick in the 2022 draft.

Still, Carrington emerged as a day-one starter, with Brogdon injured. His energy made an impact for Washington, and the 6-foot-4 point guard even enjoyed some early success from a statistical standpoint. Over a four-game stretch in late October and early November, the former Pittsburgh Panther averaged north of 11 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists per game.

However, even after an 18-point game in which he nailed half of his eight attempts from beyond the arc, Carrington returned to a reserve role behind Brogdon. In a reduced role, he couldn’t quite find the same stride he had maintained in the starting lineup.

But when Brogdon returned to the sidelines four games ago, Carrington was immediately ready to make the most of an elevated role. This time, he’d play more minutes and handle greater responsibility than ever before in his young NBA career.

In these four games since re-entering the starting lineup, Carrington has averaged just under 34 minutes per contest, a mark similar to that of many of the league’s biggest stars. While he isn’t yet producing with the best efficiency, Carrington has benefited from additional creation repetitions, and the opportunity to hoist threes in high volumes. A shaky shooter throughout his career, these valuable opportunities can play a big role in his development. Outside of his scoring, he has also made an impact through his playmaking, both on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

Moving forward, Carrington has many improvement areas to become a high-level NBA contributor. He’ll need to find consistency as a shot-maker first and foremost, and can also benefit from more aggressive attacks to the rim; he currently shoots far too few free throws. Still, with a well-rounded base of impact, Carrington is worth monitoring closely as a potential franchise centerpiece for the Wizards.

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