The Washington Wizards have built their team towards the future and all of their moves over the last year have proven that.
Washington dealt former lottery pick Deni Avdija to the Portland Trail Blazers on draft night last offseason in exchange for an extra lottery pick, plus the addition of veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon who the team hoped could provide vital veteran experience as the team continued to add to their young core.
The extra lottery pick that the Wizards received in the draft was the No. 14 overall pick, which eventually landed young guard Bub Carrington in Washington joining No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr and late first-rounder Kyshawn George as the top pieces the team added on draft night.
Each of the rookies were held to high expectations entering the season, some higher than others. But Carrington in specific was the one rookie that fans and NBA minds around the league were excited to watch develop for the Wizards alongside the team's young core under first-year head coach Brian Keefe.
And while the Pitt product has shown flashes throughout his rookie season, there has been some pessimism about his lack of production early on, while averaging 29.3 minutes per game. In addition, the early comparisons to Wizards legend Gilbert Arenas also raised expectations early.
Despite the guard not immediately posting flashy stats, it's important to understand that development takes time.
Carrington has a bright future, but it takes time
Carrington is only averaging 9.2 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game on the season, while shooting 40.3% from field goal range and 34.7% from beyond the arc. And while some would say that these stats are impressive for a rookie, some believe that a rookie averaging nearly 30 minutes per game should be putting up better stats.
However at 19-years-old, Carrington has plebnty of time to develop and he entered the season as a raw prospect that the team knew ahead of time that playing time and experience would be key in his development.
In addition to his age and raw ability, it's not uncommon for guards to struggle the first couple of seasons in the league. In fact, it's more common for young guards to struggle in their first season in the league than it is for immediate production. Look at Portland Trail Blazers' Scoot Henderson for example.
Carrington has all the tools to be a big-time player for the Wizards, and with a strong offseason to work on his weaknesses, his second-year will be more telling about his development.