Wizards' New Forward Deserves Major Role

In a recent interview, Whitmore explained why things didn't go the way he hoped for with the Rockets, as he said, "Houston (Rockets) was in a win-now mode." Many teams in the NBA prefer to play veterans or players with a good amount of experience to heavy minutes. It's hard for young players to get comfortable in the league if they aren't given ample amount of playing time. One player of the Wizards who can relate to that is AJ Johnson. Head Coach Doc Rivers doesn't prefer to play young rookies many minutes. We saw what Johnson is capable of last season after the Wizards acquired him. That is why we can expect the Wizards to play Whitmore heavy minutes. One man's trash is another man's treasure.

We all know Whitmore is what many consider to be a three-level scorer. His offense is something every team could use because he can do a little bit of everything on the offensive end. However, Whitmore acknowledged that he could have been a better defender with the Rockets when he said, " My time in Houston was very subtle. I had spurts of good things and bad things on the court, but I feel like I can improve defensively. I feel that my defense wasn't very up to par where it should be and what I'm capable of." It just so happens that the Wizards are indeed in need of capable defenders. Whitmore is a versatile player who can defend multiple positions when he is on his A-game. With a fresh start with the Wizards, he now has the chance to showcase what he is truly capable of. Receiving a good amount of playing time will certainly encourage him to give more effort defensively. With that being said, that is yet another reason why we can expect Whitmore to play heavy minutes for the Wizards.