Nearly three months into a rookie campaign that left him well-complimented by all-time greats across the NBA stratosphere, Carlton “Bub” Carrington will someday look back on how it started: with a fittingly-fearless approach against the defending champions on October 24, 2024. Selecting three different attributes — defense, shooting ability, and leadership — that he planned to implement into Year One, the No. 14 pick got promptly to work at the Boston Celtics’ expense. Within the end-of-night highlight reel were proven specialties, such as the buttery pull-up jumper that helped spark his college hoops rise, alongside scrappy tangles for loose balls, and on-floor IQ as the Washington Wizards’ offensive “quarterback.” The upstart Wizards wouldn’t prevail in the early-season head-to-head, but Carrington nonetheless offered contributions in the form of a three-point, three-rebound, two-assist, two-block showing. From there, the tone was officially set, with Carrington’s gifts allowing for the creation of a near night-by-night double-figure scorer and versatile contributor over the season’s first half. · Oct 24, 2024