Former Rockets prospect has golden opportunity on his new squad

The Houston Rockets could not find sufficient opportunities for Cam Whitmore. It seems that the situation will be different in Washington.

Don't blame the Rockets. Whitmore's shortcomings with the team have been well-documented. His allergy to passing the basketball kept him from being a productive member of the team.

Yet, Whitmore only deserves a portion of the blame as well. An unwilling passer is a frustrating player to watch, but most young players have flaws. If Whitmore had been an enthusiastic passer who couldn't hit open shots, he'd have gained more sympathy - but he'd have been equally flawed. Either way, a win-now Rockets team wasn't willing to wait for him to iron out his flaws.

That won't be an issue in Washington.

Wizards can give Whitmore opportunities the Rockets can't

The Game Theory Podcast's Sam Vecenie just highlighted Whitmore's opportunity.

"He's probably the closest thing you have to a 4 on your roster."

-Sam Vecenie on Cam Whitmore

I may nitpick that statement.

At 6'8" with longer arms, Bilal Coulibaly may have a claim to that position. He spent 28% of his minutes at the 4 last year. In an NBA that's trending towards size, the Wizards could experiment with Alex Sarr at the 4 as well.

Still, Vecenie's broader point is spot-on. The Wizards are light on frontcourt depth. They're a distinctly rebuilding team that will likely prefer to lose games in 2025-26. Whitmore could earn major minutes on this squad.

What will he do with them?

Former Rockets prospect needs to round out his game

Ultimately, this opportunity doesn't change much about Whitmore's outlook if he doesn't make the most of it.

He'll get minutes in Washington. Accordingly, he'll score points. As a 22.5 points per 75 possessions career scorer, nobody should doubt Whitmore's bucket-getting prowess.

Who knows? That could earn him one lucrative contract. Whitmore may establish himself as a potential star and get paid.

If he doesn't learn to move the basketball, and focus on defense, his career will stop short there.

If Whitmore wants to be a true star, he has to round out his game. To become a high-usage player on a winning team, he'll need to shake his tunnel vision.

He could do it. Whitmore remains young. There's a world where he takes this summer to iron out his flaws and establishes himself as a cornerstone in the Capital. There's no reason for Rockets fans to root against Whitmore:

He was never working out in Houston anyway.