WASHINGTON, D.C. – Several players on the Washington Wizards had quality stat lines in their 119-102 loss to the New York Knicks on Monday night, but third-year forward Cam Whitmore wasn't one of them. The former Houston Rocket finished with just two points (1-3 FG, 0-1 3-point), one rebound, and two turnovers across 11 minutes.

That's not what the Wizards envisioned when they traded for Whitmore in July, but second-year wing Kyshawn George explained how they can utilize his talent after Saturday's 125-94 loss to the Orlando Magic.

“His physicality. He’s relentless, he can get to the rim. Super aggressive guy,” the former Miami Hurricane said when asked what Whitmore adds to the offense. “Just gotta find him on his cuts as a team, he’s a very good cutter, you can throw him lobs. He adds another weapon…”

To George's point, the one time Whitmore scored on Monday was when second-year guard Bub Carrington fed him a lob on a cut to the basket in transition that resulted in an alley-oop slam with 1:21 left in the third quarter. The play can be found starting at 11:46 in the following YouTube highlight video.

George also lobbed a pass to Whitmore from just inside the three-point line on a fast break in the first quarter of Washington's 139-134 overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 28, which the latter player finished with an emphatic one-handed dunk. Those are just two examples of his speed and athleticism paying off around the rim, but he has yet to score more than 14 points in a game this season and has scored 10-plus only twice.

Part of that is because Whitmore ranks ninth on the team with 15.9 minutes per contest as he adjusts to his new squad. The former Villanova Wildcat has to compete for playing time in a crowded rotation, but he also hasn't made the most of his time on the floor yet.

For example, head coach Brian Keefe called a timeout and yelled at Whitmore after he missed a stepback three on the previous possession during the Wizards' 117-107 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 24. Keefe was also upset when the 21-year-old turned the ball over after driving into a crowd of Knicks players in transition on Monday.

However, the second-year coach also complimented Whitmore after the Magic game, when he scored eight points (3-7 FG, 2-3 3-point) with two rebounds and two steals in 16 minutes.

“I thought he was one of the guys that created energy tonight and did a good job defensively on some of their guys,” Keefe told ClutchPoints. “He was attacking the rim. I was really pleased with him.”

Article Continues Below

If Whitmore gives effort defensively, limits turnovers, and takes shots within the flow of the offense moving forward, he should get more minutes. But the 6-foot-6, 230-pounder must do both of those things consistently to stand out on a young core with George (17.9 points per game), second-year center Alex Sarr (17.3 PPG), and rookie guard Tre Johnson (12.3 PPG) all establishing themselves as building blocks so far.

Whitmore's size and explosiveness going downhill are why the Rockets drafted him No. 20 overall in 2023, but the team considered him expendable after adding future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant to a core of 2025 All-Star big man Alperen Sengun, 2025 All-Defensive First Team guard Amen Thompson, and 2023 All-Rookie Second Team forward Jabari Smith Jr.. Now that he's on a squad focused on developing young players instead of contending, there's no excuse for him not to prove himself. His fate depends on his ability to listen to the coaching staff and adjust accordingly, as well as his teammates feeding him when he finds space on cuts to the basket.

CJ McCollum gives Tre Johnson flowers

Meanwhile, Johnson is having no trouble doing what he was known best for as a prospect: scoring the basketball. The No. 6 overall pick has notched double-digit points in six of seven games thus far and is shooting 35.7 percent from deep, which is tied for ninth among rookies while ranking third with 15 total attempts made, per NBA.com. He also leads with 42 attempts.

Veteran guard CJ McCollum shared his thoughts about how Johnson is adjusting to the NBA after the 76ers game.

“I think he’s been great. He’s a gamer, he enjoys playing the game,” the 34-year-old said. “He's fearless, got a quick release, knows how to find shots. I think his poise is at a high level. I think his work ethic is really impressive, especially for 19, 20-year-olds. He's always in the gym, he takes care of his body, which is rare. A lot of the young guys neglect the body early and then double back late. I think he's got the makings of being a really talented player for a long time.”

It's impossible to make long-term projections after seven games, but Johnson looks like a top offensive option for Washington as it evolves from a rebuilding team into a contender over the coming years. Mix that with George's do-it-all skillset and Sarr's two-way rim presence as a seven-footer, and the Wizards have one of the most promising young cores in the league.