Carlton Carrington Scouting Report
The Pitt freshman has some of the highest upside in the class
Name: Carlton “Bub” Carrington
Birth date: July 21, 2005
Height/Weight: 6’4/195
Wingspan/ standing reach: 6’8/8’3
Hand size: 9 ¼
Position: Guard
Pre-Draft team: Pittsburgh
Tools: Scoring upside, ability to use screens to his advantage
Background: Won’t turn 19 until nearly a month after the draft. Member of All-ACC Freshman team. Nicknamed Lil Bub which became just Bub. Cousins with Rudy Gay. Played baseball, basketball, and football in high school.
Season Stats: 13.8 PPG 5.2 RPG 4.1 APG 0.6 SPG 0.2 BPG 1.9 TOPG on 41/32/78.5
Pros:
Can create and make difficult, moving shots
Tight handle and an ability to break defenders down 1-on-1
Moves well away from the ball and thrives off of give & go’s, off screen sets,and P&R actions
Good rebounder
Good motor and generally engaged in the play
Minimizes immature turnovers and generally plays with good composure
Generally has strong instincts and a good feel for the game; doesn’t make boneheaded mistakes
Cons:
Shot needs to be sped up in terms of load up. Against WVU he was blocked on a jumper with defender going under the screen
Screen navigation leaves a bit to be desired. Can be taken out of the play easily by screens
Some defensive concerns on-ball. Reaction time can be poor
Needs to get stronger for him to win more plays on both ends
Didn’t finish well at the rim as a freshman
Can be out of control on layup attempts
Swing Skills:
What elite skill does he need to do to be more than just another guard?
How quickly can his body add weight/strength?
Summary:
Carlton Carrington’s offensive upside is high as a 3 level scorer that can distribute and thrive out of P&R sets.
While his 51% field goal percentage at the rim is underwhelming, this is a fixable area and is a key part of my evaluation praising his attainable upside. At 18 years old, while needing to add strength and fill out his frame, the reasons his inefficiencies occurred throughout the season will be eliminated. His touch at the rim is good, but was at his worst as a finisher when met with contact because of how out of control he became, trying to contort his body in ways he physically was not strong enough to pull off. Adding strength will allow him to play under more control and better maximize good touch at the rim in a more properly spaced paint.
With a quicker tempo and easier ability to attack an open paint, Carrington should eventually see good free throw rates in his career, along with high scoring upside at all 3 levels. At the Combine, he shot very well in drills, showing that his low efficiency from the field, particularly from three, was a product of the difficult shots he took and not a lack of shooting ability. Again, with more space and tempo to play ahead of defenses, Carrington’s jump shooting will pop. As a self-creator, Carrington can get to his spots as a jump shooter with ease, allowing for him to utilize his mid range game at a high level. With more screen actions and different rules around defenses in the paint, Carrington also should be able to get easier shots at the rim more often.
With a low turnover rate, good floor vision plus the ability to play well off of screens, Carrington’s playmaking upside is high. Like his finishing, adding strength will aid him to be able to play better through contact. Too often, defenders control him by being physical, and his skinny frame is unable to win against that style of pay. As he gets stronger to absorb bumps, his passing ability along the baseline and ability to make plays for both himself and others through handoffs will only improve.
Defensively, Carrington has a long ways to go. He struggles with screen navigation, which can be rooted in some of his frame woes, and his reaction time can be iffy when defending on the ball. As he gets stronger, he should better learn to use his body, including his lateral quickness, to his advantage. In the games I saw, I never saw a glaring mistake on the defensive end from him, but rather plays that are fixable with age, ranging from P&R awareness, getting in a better stance to avoid getting bullied, and he generally knew where to be.
Given his age, difficult shot diet, frame, and ability to get to his spots, I buy Carrington coming around and developing into one of the top guards in this draft. Some of his shortcomings, such as inconsistent decision-making, screen navigation, and general defensive woes all can be ironed out with age and under the NBA umbrella. As he develops his body in an NBA strength & conditioning program, he will have more variety in how he can separate from defenders, as well as win at the rim more easily. With a filled out frame, Carrington’s 3 level scoring and defense can be more fully maximized, helping him become more efficient offensively and less of a liability defensively.
Projected draft range: 13-25
Expected role: Well rounded offensive player that can score at will while being a strong playmaker.
Unplayable if: Body never takes noticeable strides in developing, defensive concerns don’t improve, and he continues as an uncontrolled finisher even with added strength.
Exceeds expectations if: Strength changes his game
Videos:
All-around preview of his game
Shot chart:
