Former Panther Bub Carrington making waves in NBA

As the NBA regular season ends, former Pitt Panther Bub Carrington continues to impress and stand out on the Washington Wizards during his rookie season. 

As the Wizards hold a record of 17-63 with two more games to play, they are officially eliminated from playoff contention and look ahead to the offseason. Despite the form, Carrington is a bright spot on the team, offering quality performances that show glimpses of what he could mean to this franchise’s future.   

Carrington’s mature demeanor and intelligence were clear throughout the season. Averaging over four assists per game to just 1.6 turnovers, he proved himself as a reliable facilitator of the team’s offense as he gradually made his way into the starting lineup on a nightly basis.  

Among rookies, Carrington is ranked second in assists per game and second in assist-to-turnover ratio. He leads all rookies with 16 games played with five-plus assists and one or fewer turnovers. Additionally, he is tied for the most games among rookies with five games played, recording a 15-point, five rebound and five assists stat line.  

His impact is much more well rounded than simply shot-making and passing. He finishes out the season ranked second in total assists, third in three-pointers made, fourth in steals, fifth in points and field goals made and seventh in rebounds among all other rookies this season.   

“He has been great — we started him from the first game, so he has been great this year. One of the things he does really well is help us get organized,” head coach Brian Keefe said. “He pushes the pace, his ability to rebound. Then, obviously, you’re seeing some of the improvements on the shot-making stuff. He has had a good year and is progressing. Now, he is making great reads.” 

He also joined elite company, becoming one of only three NBA players in history to record 250-plus assists and 100-plus three-pointers made before the age of 20, with the likes of both Luka Dončić and Kobe Bryant. But this is not the only history he has made this season. Carrington set a franchise season record for Wizards, making the most three-pointers by a rookie ever with 133. He is also the youngest Wizard to record a 30-plus point, five-plus assist and five-plus steal game in his season-high 32-point outing against the Orlando Magic.  

It’s a tumultuous rebuilding phase for the Wizards, but using their core of young players, including Bub Carrington, is essential to this team’s future. As the season wraps up, both Pitt and Wizards fans have much to look forward to as Carrington looks to build on the strong foundation of play that he has established his rookie year. His exponential improvement throughout the season should provide hope to many fans, as the future does look bright for both the player and the team.