The Washington Wizards‘ 2024 draft class is one of the only highlights for the franchise in recent history. Alex Sarr is playing at an elite level on both ends, and Kyshawn George is proving to be the steal of the class as the season nears its midway point. Now, Bub Carrington is finally making his jump after a bumpy first few months of the season.
Wizards Sophomore Finally Making His Second Year Leap
The Wizards guard was the second of the trio taken. He was picked by the Portland Trail Blazers at 14, before being traded to Washington. Compared to the rest of the class, his rookie year went well. He played all 82 games and was elected to the All-Rookie Second Team. However, the beginning of his second season unfolded quite differently.
Sophomore Slump
While Sarr and George both started this season strongly, Carrington was in a much different boat. Carrington’s consistency was a problem last year, and it plagued the start of this season as well. In only seven of the team’s first two months’ worth of games did Carrington shoot at least 40% from the field. He had the same number of games shooting under 30%.
He would end the month of November with averages of 6.7 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.8 rebounds. Additionally, he was shooting less than 40% from the field. While Sarr and George were outpacing their rookie stats by far, Carrington saw a stagnation/regression across multiple categories. However, he revived his campaign in December, with the numbers to prove he was only in a brief slump.
On The Rise
So far this month, Carrington has been averaging 13.8 points, 4.8 assists, and four rebounds while shooting 42.9% from the field. Additionally, he has scored double figures in all but two games this month, while he only did it four times in the first two months of the season.
In his last five games alone, Carrington has scored 20+ twice, averaging 17.6 points in that span. In Washington’s most recent loss against the Spurs, Carrington scored 21 points while shooting over 60% from both the field and three, along with his four assists and five rebounds.
Can He Sustain It?
Carrington’s biggest problem in his young career has been sustaining great play over a prolonged period. Last season, he would play lights out for a few games before coming back down to earth and repeating the process over and over. The best month of his career was April, when he strung together seven straight double-digit scoring outings while having near double-double or triple-double numbers every night.
This December isn’t too far behind. While he’s not filling the stat sheet the same way, he’s playing consistently and providing Washington with plenty of offense. He’s been a huge contributor to the team’s recent success. They’ve had multiple close games and have collected three of their five wins this month.
The Wizards don’t need the 20+ point outings every night from Carrington. With that being said, they could certainly use the consistency he’s producing at the moment. As long as he can provide a net-positive impact, he’ll continue to play around the 33 minutes he’s gotten per contest so far this month.
The Last Word
Fans should be thrilled. Carrington is finally showcasing his growth in a time when the roster needs it. Multiple players are sidelined with injuries, and Carrington is thriving with the uptick in minutes. While he may not be able to sustain it, he’s providing an outstanding reminder to not give up on your young talent too early.
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