Carlton Carrington’s rookie preview gained a lot of attention after an incredible NBA summer league. This deservedly led to high praise and expectations for Carrington’s rookie season. He has the potential in Washington to be impactful early on. Playing alongside Alex Sarr, the number two overall pick, should help his cause.
Let’s take a look at Carrington’s rookie preview for the upcoming season.
NBA Rookie Preview: Carlton ‘Bub’ Carrington
Prospect Profile
Carrington wasn’t your typical blue-chip prospect coming out of high school. He was under-recruited as a low four-star prospect and signed with the University of Pittsburgh. Carrington is a six-foot-five guard with good creation, playmaking, and shot-making ability. He skyrocketed onto draft boards after a triple-double in his first game as a freshman for the Panthers. Carrington’s biggest questions coming into the draft were what exactly he was elite at, and what position suits him best. He was effective in every area offensively, but his numbers didn’t quite jump off the page. Was Carrington going to be a prospect who was good at a lot and a master of none? Even defensively, Carrington wasn’t a poor defender by any means, but he wasn’t making waves on that end either. He clearly possessed high upside traits though as a young prospect with an advanced skillset and archetype.
So what position is best for Carrington and how does he impact the game if not a volume scorer? Well, in the NBA Summer League, he showed that he could succeed at everything all at once. Carrington averaged 15.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in five games of action. He may be ready to contribute more significantly as a rookie than previously expected.
Team Fit
It’s no secret that the Wizards organization is in the process of a rebuild. Gathering and stacking young talent is paramount even above team fit and win percentages. Carrington should fit this structure well though. He’s a young, high-upside player who will need volume opportunities to reach his full potential. He shouldn’t have to shoulder such a burden that it’s detrimental in his development though. On paper, there are quality players throughout this roster.
For starters, the frontcourt duo projects to be strong. Jonas Valanciunas was a big free agent signing who’s a massive interior presence and a crushing screen setter. He will be paired with the wiry rookie, Sarr, who’s his perfect opposite. Sarr can run the floor and play on the perimeter while still being effective in the paint with his elite length and athleticism. In the backcourt, there’s plenty of talent for Carrington to play behind and learn from. Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma are young veterans who may not impact winning all the time, but they can score in bunches. The Wizards also acquired veteran combo guard Malcolm Brogdon in the offseason. However, a thumb surgery will keep him out for the beginning of the season. Other notable veterans on the wings are proven role players Corey Kispert and Saddiq Bey. Lastly, sophomore guard Bilal Coulibaly was off to an amazing start last season before a knee injury ended his rookie year.
As seen, the Wizards have talent on their roster albeit they don’t look to be a competitive team overall. This should provide Carrington with the right balance of volume opportunities while still not having to overextend himself.
Predictions
Based on Carrington’s team situation and summer league performance, his aforementioned ‘steal of the draft’ talk could be warranted. In my opinion, Carrington’s still a very young prospect though who many didn’t expect to be a one-and-done collegiate player. He will have developmental ups and downs as a young guard in the best league in the world. Washington’s overall non-competitive roster and injury issues make Carrington’s rookie preview interesting though. I think he will need time to develop into what was seen in the NBA summer league, but the Wizards may end up playing him 20-plus minutes per game throughout different stretches of the season.
With this level of opportunity, Carrington’s talent and affinity to stuff the stat sheet could generate a lot of positive attention. If this were the case, I think Carrington could be a first-team All-Rookie performer. Carrington’s development track and how fast he becomes productive will be monitored closely by draft analysts and Wizards fans alike.
