The Charlotte Hornets have very little to look forward to this season in terms of wins and losses, but they will at least get a chance to evaluate some of their young players as they get significant playing time. The early results are in, and rookie forward P.J. Washington has skyrocketed to the top of the list.

Washington, the No. 12 overall pick in June's draft, earned the start over Nicolas Batum in the Hornets' exciting 126-125 season-opening win over the Bulls on Wednesday night, and the rookie wasted absolutely no time establishing himself. The 6-foot-7, 21-year-old made five 3-pointers in the first half, tying an NBA record for the most 3s ever made in an NBA debut.

At the 1:07 mark of the third quarter, Washington etched his own name into the record books by knocking down his sixth 3-pointer.

He'd add one more for good measure, finishing with 27 points and hitting 7 of 11 from 3-point range in his first NBA game. Not bad at all, young man

It was also a record night for the Hornets as a team, who set a franchise mark for a regulation game with 23 made 3-pointers. Overall, the team shot 23 of 44 (52 percent) on 3's in the season-opening win.

Washington was a standout in two seasons at Kentucky, shooting 42 percent from the 3-point line as a sophomore. He impressed enough in the preseason to earn the start on opening night, and he could be a driving force in the Hornets' rebuild after the departure of Kemba Walker.