When talking about the Wizards’ draft class, most would naturally think the hype surrounded No. 2 overall selection Alex Sarr. It seems that the 14th overall selection, Carlton Carrington, has stolen the show. In ESPN’s recent survey of NBA executives, Carrington received the highest votes as the steal of the 2024 NBA draft.
Is Carrington the point guard of the future for the Washington Wizards? Based on strong play in NBA Summer League, he certainly has the case at the moment for the steal of the draft. It will be fun to see if Carrington’s recent stellar play can translate to long-term NBA success.
Wizards Get Steal Of The Draft According To NBA Execs
Player Profile
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 at Pittsburgh. Carrington is a combo guard who was asked to score a lot but also averaged 4.2 assists per game in college. Carrington’s biggest questions coming into the draft were what exactly he was elite at, and what position suited him best. He was effective in every area offensively, but his shooting and assists numbers were average. 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 wasn’t making waves on that end either. He measured very well at the combine though with a six-foot-eight wingspan.
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. It has deservedly vaulted Carrington into the ‘steal of the draft’ conversations by NBA executives. He may be ready to contribute more significantly as a rookie than previously expected.
NBA Summer League
Carrington proved a lot of doubters wrong and answered a lot of questions in NBA Summer League. He was by far the Wizards’ best performer, and he played with the aforementioned No. 2 pick. While Sarr notably struggled, Carrington thrived. He showed the flashes of playmaking and shot-creation that made him such a fascinating prospect. Carrington finished summer league averaging 15.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. He was 0.4 rebounds away from leading the Wizards in all three statistical categories. Carrington also managed to shoot 35.9 percent from deep on nearly eight attempts per game.
All his stats were on great volume as he also led the team in minutes per game. His ability to create his own shot while simultaneously making plays for others has been a real bright spot for Wizards fans.
Last Word On Carlton Carrington
At this very early point in his career, it’s certainly fair to have Carrington high on the steal of the draft list. His performance not only in summer league, but during his freshman season at Pittsburgh has been very positive. This doesn’t mean Carrington’s a guarantee of success though. In official NBA games, teams along with individual players will be drastically better on both ends. He also won’t be playing for the most competitive roster with the Wizards. Will having too much freedom and offensive burden with a young team have a negative effect on the 19-year-old? It could be tremendous for his development, but only time will tell.
At the very least though, Carrington has not put out bad tape or given reason to doubt his ability. That’s an encouraging sign for Wizards fans.
