The Washington Wizards are in the early-to-middle stages of building a competitive roster. General Manager Will Dawkins has decided to grow organically through the draft. With that being said, not all future pieces were drafted by Washington. Newly acquired guard Cam Whitmore could grow to become a real cornerstone for the Wizards. However, Washington must give him a real opportunity, unlike Whitmore’s former team, the Houston Rockets.
Wizards Cannot Repeat Rockets’ Failure
The Wizards got Whitmore for a relatively low price, only two second-round picks. With that, Whitmore gets a fresh, but familiar, feel in Washington. Homegrown in the DMV area, Whitmore will get a real opportunity to grow his game and potentially become an extremely valuable asset for the Wizards.
Houston’s Problem
The Rockets never gave Whitmore a real opportunity to be a real offensive weapon. His stats show this effect tremendously. Last season, just about every statistical category saw regression from his rookie year, including a decline in minutes, shots attempted, and threes attempted.
With other players, such as Amen Thompson, taking huge steps forward for the Rockets, it wasn’t much surprise to see Whitmore face a smaller role. However, eventually Whitmore saw less and less action, leading to the playoffs, where he played only two minutes in each of the three appearances he received.
Whitmore, while not being utilized correctly, didn’t need to provide significantly for Houston to compete. The Rockets made the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-20 season, and they finished higher than fourth in the conference for the first time in nearly a decade. Now adding Kevin Durant, Whitmore no longer fit Houston’s path to a championship and was shipped out.
Washington’s Opportunity
Whitmore has potential written all over him. Similar to the rest of Washington’s roster, he can grow to become a lethal weapon on offense. He’s extremely athletic and can grow his outside game alongside the Wizards’ young core. Houston didn’t necessarily need Whitmore, and Washington could certainly use the offensive help.
While he’s average in efficiency, shooting 44.4% from the field and 35.5% from three, Washington needs all the help it can get. Whitmore shot better than Jordan Poole, Khris Middleton, Alex Sarr, and just about all of the Wizards’ primary scorers last season. The team overall was 28th in field goal percentage, which Whitmore can help improve.
Defensively, Whitmore can hold his own. With career averages of a 111 defensive rating and 1.9 defensive win share, he’s a capable defender. His stats aren’t jaw-dropping, but he certainly would’ve helped the Wizards on that end of the floor. For Washington, they have solid defenders all around, and everyone is capable of becoming better. Whitmore will get to grow his defensive skills around other two-way threats like Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, and Kyshawn George.
The Wizards have found a needle in a haystack with Whitmore. Offensively, he will step into a much larger role than in Houston, and defensively, he can grow alongside a potentially lockdown squad. However, Washington will need to give him time to develop. Minutes will be thrown Whitmore’s way, no doubt. However, if he’s not contributing, Washington has other young talent that would gladly take his minutes. Whitmore will need to learn and mesh fast, or he may find himself in another bench role.
The Last Word
The Wizards need to handle Cam Whitmore with care. He has surreal potential, and the Wizards can utilize him in so many different ways. It’s important for Washington not to repeat Houston’s mistakes, or Whitmore could easily find himself falling further and further. He has the capability to be a decent two-way threat with an impressive offensive skillset, but Washington will need to mold him into a truly complete player. If not, Whitmore may not stick around in Washington long.
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