Entering the season, Bub Carrington seemed poised for a sophomore leap with the opportunity to be the team's starting point guard.
The second-year playmaker showed flashes during his rookie season that not only gave the front office encouragement, but the fanbase too.
Washington believed that Carrington's raw talent could help him develop into the team's ball handler of the future, especially considering his willingness to be the pass-first guard that head coach Brian Keefe has seemingly been searching for to man his offense.
However, at the same time, the Wizards hoped that Carrington could be more than just a facilitator.
Carrington's mid-range game as a rookie was arguably the best part of his game, and his work this offseason to get down hill more effectively added to the hope that he could make a leap this season.
Not to mention, the possibility Carrington's three-point shot developed could allow for him to be a dynamic three-level scorer with the mind of a pasing guard.
Despite that, Carrington's start to the season has been more than just underwhelming.
In fact, the Pittsburgh products bizarre start to the year has fans highly concerned that Washington swung and missed on yet another lottery pick.
Fortunately, the guard's struggles are less concerning and simply more confusing than anything.
As a mentioned above, the most successful area from Carrington's rookie season was his mid-range shooting, where he shot 40.1% from field goal range.
On the flip side, the area the guard struggled the most was his efficiency from downtown, shooting 33.9% from beyond the arc.
These numbers alone are what makes Carrington's struggles to start the season so confusing.
Through eight games, the 20-year-old's shooting from field goal range has dipped drastically, falling from 40.1% from field goal range to 31.9% so far this season.
Meanwhile, the area he struggled the most is where Carrington made the biggest improvement, increasing his efficiency from deep tremendously, shooting 44.4% from three.
These shooting splits is what makes the regression of Carrington so confusing because on paper, the area he's struggling the most in is the one area he thrived at during his rookie campaign.
In reality, there should be no reason that the struggles persist throughout the season.
Perhaps his early season woes simply comes down to a shooting slump that eventually he should snap out of; at least that's the hope.
Regardless, Carrington still has plenty of time to turn his season around and put the worries to rest.