1. Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards
Why Bub Carrington deserves ROY consideration: At the start of the season, you'd expect that there would be a Washington Wizard at the center of the NBA's Rookie of the Year race. However, at least thus far, it's not the rookie Wizard that you would expect. Alex Sarr has gotten off to a rough start but there's another rookie who has stood out so far this season for the Wizards, and that's Bub Carrington. Through the first few weeks of the season, the argument could be made that Carrington has been the best rookie in this year's class.
Averaging 10 points, five assists, and four rebounds per game on 43 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range, Carrington has continued to prove that he could emerge as a consistent offensive force for the Wizards. He's become a starter for Washington through the first few weeks of the regular season and has shown true promise for the future. The biggest question about Carrington revolves around how high of a ceiling he may have, not necessarily if this level of play is sustainable.
Why Bub Carrington could fall out of the ROY race: We've talked about it time and time again throughout this article, but the theoretical rookie wall is something to keep a close eye on - especially considering that Carrington is averaging more than 30 minutes per game. At the same time, the return of Malcolm Brogdon could have a slight impact on Carrington's role during the second half of the season. At the very least, it's something to keep a close eye on as Brogdon nears a return to the team.
But for the rebuilding Wizards, it's pretty safe to assume that they will want to give Carrington as much of an opportunity to succeed. And if he can continue to put up good numbers, as he's had through the first few weeks of the season, he's going to have as good of a chance as any other rookie to win the NBA's Rookie of the Year award. And as a huge surprise for the Wizards so far this season, he could end up being one of the biggest steals from the 2024 draft class.