5. Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards
Stats: 9.5 points, 4.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 41% FG
Compared to our initial NBA Rookie Rankings, we had to bump Bub Carrington down a few spots. While he did get off to a hot start to the year, Carrington has lost a bit of lust - along with the fact that other rookies have begun to hit their stride as players too. Either way, even though Carrington is no longer sitting atop this list, he's still a player to keep an eye on as we get deeper into the season. One thing with Carrington that we must keep in mind is that he was never expected to be the best rookie in the class. Sometimes that is lost.
Carrington was the final pick in the lottery. And even then, when he was drafted at 14th overall, there were some who believed that he was taken too high. Nevertheless, the Wizards took a flier on the young guard and he's more than paid off for them. For the most part, Carrington has been Washington's most consistent rookie. For a few weeks into the season, Carrington was the best and most consistent rookie from this year's class. Even though that has changed a bit, it shouldn't take away from how good Carrington has been for the Wizards.
Averaging nearly 10 points on five assists and four rebounds per game is not an easy feat for a rookie. Even though he's been given the gift of an expanded role on the rebuilding Wizards, it also must be clear that he earned the job during training camp and with his consistency through the first few weeks of the regular season. As Carrington begins to get more and more comfortable with his role, I'd imagine he's going to find that burst late in the season again - assuming he doesn't hit a rookie wall.
Carrington may no longer be on pace to win the NBA's Rookie of the Year award but, at the very least, it does appear as if the Wizards found a foundational piece of their build moving forward. There's a lot to like about Carrington's game that Washington can benefit from in the long run. As the Wizards continue to establish a young core, it's pretty safe to assume that Carrington will be part of their plans moving forward - Rookie of the Year or not.