標籤: Carringtons

Washington, DC – Washington Wizards/Monumental basketball president Michael Winger said on Jan. 22 that the organization will evaluate which young players will stick around long-term in the coming months, and second-year guard Bub Carrington showed why he should stick around on Tuesday. The 20-year-old scored a season-high 30 points (12-16 FG, 6-8 3-point) with four rebounds, two assists and no turnovers over 37 minutes in Washington’s 130-117 home loss against the Detroit Pistons.

Veteran forward Justin Champagnie told ClutchPoints after the game how Carrington has grown as a player since last season.

I asked Justin Champagnie last night how Bub Carrington has grown as a player since he was first discovered (thread):

“I think Bub is trying to learn his spots more. Starting to figure out when to shoot, when not to. When to be aggressive, when not to be aggressive. When… pic.twitter.com/KYEdtYxlmD

-Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) 18 March 2026

“I think Bub is trying to learn his spots more. Starting to figure out when to shoot, when not to shoot,” the 24-year-old said. “When to be aggressive, when not to be aggressive. When to turn the ball over, make the plays that have to be made. He’s diligent in his film work. I watch him do film before every game. I think he’s growing in those aspects. Gotta remember Bub is still young, like, 21 years old…I’m very proud of the growth he’s made this year.”

Carrington won’t turn 21 until July, but the rest of Champaign’s commentary track. The former Pittsburgh Panther is shooting 56.7% from the field (51.7% 3-point) with a 2.56 assist-to-turnover ratio in 25.9 minutes per game in March, which is a night-and-day difference from the rest of his season. For example, he shot only 36.4% (28.3% 3-pointers) with a 2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio in February and 38.7% (34.6% 3-pointers) with a 1.76 ratio in January.

Carrington’s season-long numbers aren’t that different from his depth other than a 39.4% clip, which leads 2024 draftees with at least that many average attempts (4.9). The Baltimore native’s average three-point attempts also rank fifth in the class.

On the other hand, according to NBA Advanced stats, Carrington’s 14.1 turnover ratio is the third highest (minimum 20 minutes per game) and his -14.2 net rating ranks last. Luckily, Champagne gave him advice on how to deal with adversity.

“Stay the same… A lot of guys go through sophomore slumps… When shots aren’t falling and things aren’t going your way, what else can you do to make an impact and be the player we need?” When asked what advice he would give Carrington, he said. “I think he’s done a great job so far this year, I’m looking forward to seeing him continue.”

Spreading the ball around while limiting turnovers is one way Carrington can help the team when he’s not scoring. For example, the 6-foot-4, 190-pounder had eight possessions against just one turnover in Saturday’s 111-100 loss to the Boston Celtics. He only scored two points (1-2 FG) in 22 minutes, but still provided value.

It was a different story on Tuesday. Carrington looked as confident as ever, hitting a fadeaway midrange as well as a catch-and-shoot three Competitive layouts like The one below.

It’s hard bub 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/LWs05M0EGh

– Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) 17 March 2026

Carrington could stand to hit more contested layups, as he ranks 162nd among NBA guards with 0.5 paint touches per game as of Wednesday. If he gets to the rim more, he will draw more attention from the defense and open up space for his teammates, similar to fellow Wizard Trae Young.

It’s not realistic to reach Young’s level too soon, but it is realistic to build on Tuesday’s outing and show potential in that regard over the rest of the season.

Bub Carrington needs to prove valuable as a role player

It’s no secret that Washington’s youth center will be in a different situation next year and beyond. The acquisition of youth and star big man Anthony Davis this offseason signals an intent to get into the Eastern Conference playoff picture for the 2026-27 campaign, which is a far cry from the way things have been recently.

The organization has declined every year since winger and general manager Will Dawkins took over in 2023, which helped him land second-year big man Alex Saar and rookie guard Trey Johnson with the top six selections in the draft. If the season ends on Wednesday, it will gain another top-six selection in the draft with superstar prospects AJ DiBuntsa (BYU), Cameron Boozer (Duke), and Darin Peterson (Kansas).

This strategy puts player development above winning, allowing the young core to play through mistakes without the pressure of immediate results. But next year it will be difficult to get minutes for those players who will not help the team win.

There are no guarantees what the roster will look like next year, but Carrington can stake his claim as a long-term role player if he puts together a mix of performances like the Pistons and Celtics games the rest of this season. Whether the team needs him as a scorer or facilitator on some nights, if he consistently shows he can execute any job, it will be hard to sit him down.

Head coach Brian Keefe reported Tuesday that Carrington is learning “what he needs to do” each game.

“I think Bub had a good year. He really took over our second unit for a lot of the year, while our second unit was very positive for a long time,” he said. “He’s learned to control the game offensively. I like his physicality defensively, he’s gotten more interceptions as the season has gone on. And the shooting is right there as well.”

“Keep growing, and we will put our people in positions to learn and grow,” he added. “Tonight was great, he played a little off the ball. Sometimes he has the ball more, tonight he was a little behind. He was aggressive looking for his shot, and that’s what we needed him to do tonight. He’s learning what the game needs him to do. Some nights are different. Tonight, he was aggressive with his shot, and that was helpful for us.”

Washington has another home date with Detroit on Thursday before hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday.