The Washington Wizards are easily one of the worst teams in the NBA at the moment. With the rising cast of young stars without a true number one option, and veterans who haven’t lived up to their fullest potential, the team is no short of confusing and misled. No player fits these categories more than Cam Whitmore. Now, the Wizards may be finding out why the Houston Rockets no longer needed Cam Whitmore’s services.
Wizards Are Learning About The Real Cam Whitmore Firsthand
Whitmore, the 20th pick in the 2023 draft, has not had the best of starts to his NBA career. He was an afterthought in Houston after a strong rookie season. Then he was sent to Washington in a surprising move that left Wizards’ fans salivating. It seemed the Rockets had given up on Whitmore before seeing his true potential. In retrospect, Houston may have already known what Washington is learning now.
Whitmore’s Work Ethic
After a rather tragic start to the season, Whitmore has slowly been building himself a solid role for the Wizards. He’s not been playing outstanding, but neither has anyone else besides Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr. However, after he received a DNP in Washington’s last outing against the Atlanta Hawks, things may be more murky than originally thought. According to Grant Afseth, there are some real concerns about Whitmore’s practice habits and day-to-day work.
“Inside the organization, the concern has been the day-to-day work. Amid a 3-19 start to the season, Washington has emphasized establishing firm practice habits and a consistent approach across its young roster, and Whitmore has not consistently met those expectations.”
Additionally, Wizards head coach Brian Keefe answered questions about Whitmore’s absence from the lineup, stating:
“We have certain standards that we have for our team. He has to live up to those on the better, and he’ll have a chance here; but that’s gonna be up to him when that time comes.”
Whitmore possesses all the talent and physical tools necessary to become one of the best players on Washington’s active roster. With that being said, if he isn’t giving enough effort (it seems so), Washington should have no problem giving his minutes to guys who really want to be out there.
His Struggles Don’t Help
Whitmore’s season hasn’t been great, and with news like this, it’s hard to imagine it gets any better. Through the first 21 games of the season, he has averaged (or tied) a career low in points, assists, rebounds, and three-point percentage. His offense has been inconsistent at best, and he’s almost a completely net-neutral player in terms of win shares.
He was easily the most exciting addition to the roster over the offseason. However, he has failed fans and seemingly is beginning to annoy the front office. It’s unfortunate that a player of Whitmore’s potential fails to play at a higher level, given how bad the Wizards have been this season.
If his work ethic doesn’t improve, Washington will no doubt begin to shift him deeper into the bench or assign him to the Capital City Go-Go. In turn, this would create more opportunities for players like Will Riley and Justin Champagnie. Both are players that the Wizards seem to have high hopes for as potential rotation players after the rebuild.
The Last Word
Houston’s front office needs to be applauded. At the time, the trade seemed to be by far in Washington’s favor. In retrospect, the deal looks to be in the Rockets’ favor. Whitmore doesn’t want to work, and if he stays this way, Washington may have to ship him out as soon as possible to avoid his value tanking too low.
Featured Image: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images
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