Bub Carrington was in unfamiliar territory.
In the second quarter of the Wizards’ 128-116 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, the third-year guard found himself sharing the floor with Anthony Davis, Khris Middleton, Trae Young and Deandre Ayton — Washington’s four most established veterans.
For those counting, that’s three All-Stars, two NBA champions and a former No. 1 overall pick. And yet, in those shared minutes, Carrington was the star.
“They have been playing basketball for a combined 100 years, if you want to add those four together,” Carrington told The Sun. “They literally know where to be at all times to make the game as easy as possible for everyone. It makes the game super easy for me. I run around like a chicken with my head cut off and fall into buckets.”
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The 21-year-old hit a three to beat the shot clock, dished an assist to Davis and grabbed a quick steal. He finished the night with 10 points off the bench, providing the kind of performance the Wizards are hoping for as they blend a young core with a new cast of vets and look to compete in a way they haven’t for some time.
“Those guys have been in the wars, they’ve seen the battles,” Wizards coach Brian Keefe said of his veterans. “I think our guys are ready for the jump to join in with them. And you saw that tonight.”
Playing his first game in nine months, Davis reminded the fans why he’s considered one of the 75 greatest players in league history. He scored 34 points, 18 of which came in a third quarter when the Wizards’ offense was otherwise nonexistent.
Davis said Carrington came to him in the middle of a timeout early in the third quarter with the Wizards trailing.
“You have one more gear,” Carrington told him. “Can I see it?”
Davis’ performance even garnered a few “MVP” chants from a giddy home crowd. Davis, who hasn’t been award-eligible since 2024 because of numerous injuries, looked motivated Wednesday night despite offseason speculation about his contract situation and his future on a young Wizards team.
But while the Wizards got the job done, they also showed some of the disconnect that can be expected from a revamped roster. Errant passes were thrown, players were caught out of position and there was not an abundance of on-court chemistry.
Young had 20 points but struggled to find a rhythm, missing all six of his shots from 3. Most notably, he dished out a game-high 13 assists and had just one turnover. Washington had eight players score 8 or more points, a balanced approach that helped them overcome a 1-for-12 start from deep.
Kyshawn George chipped in 18 points and Bilal Coulibaly, who on Monday failed to reach an extension on his rookie contract, finished with 11. AJ Dybantsa, the biggest prize of the Wizards’ recent tanking, watched the win from the sidelines. He is still considered day-to-day with Washington hosting the Toronto Raptors on Friday.
“I think a lot of people [saw] tonight that even without AJ, we’re a different ball club this year,” Davis said.
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