5 NBA Rookies who may be steals, 4 who might be busts based on the early season

Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards (impressive)

Stats: 10 PPG, 4.8 APG, 4.3 RPG, 44% FG

With the Washington Wizards in desperate need of a young core to develop before their eyes, it does appear as if at least one of the team's first-round draft picks is already paying dividends on that front. But it may not be the player you would expect. It's not Alex Sarr for the Wizards, or at least not yet. Instead, it's Bub Carrington who has begun to impress through the first few games of the season. He's had enough flashes through training camp, pre-season, and the start of the regular season that he's been given a starting nod. Who knows if that will remain to be the case when Malcolm Brogdon returns but for now, he does appear to be an everyday starter.

And with the way he's begun the year, it's hard to blame the Wizards for giving him an expanded opportunity. Averaging nearly 30 minutes per game, Carrington is one of two rookies averaging at least 10 points per game so far this season. But in addition to the scoring and the good efficiency numbers, Carrington has also found a rhythm in emerging as one of the team's primary playmakers. Adding five assists and four rebounds per game, Carrington is making an early case for the NBA's Rookie of the Year award.

At this point, Carrington has been a pleasant surprise for the Wizards and the argument could be made that he may be one of the lone bright spots in a historically bad start for the 2024 NBA Draft class. For the Wizards, Carrington gives the franchise another potential building block for the future. Even though he may not have face-of-the-franchise potential as a player, there's no question he can emerge as an important piece for the future.

The Wizards clearly have some work to do as they find themselves still in the early stages of a rebuild but the fact that there are beginning to be signs of potential already flashing on this roster is encouraging. Above all, Carrington has been the most impressive rookie for the Wizards and, overall, one of the best rookies from this year's draft class thus far.