Wizards' Newcomer Predicted to Lead Team in Scoring

The Washington Wizards are, for all intents and purposes, viewed as the land of opportunity for young players across the NBA looking to salvage whatever's left of their pre-draft hype.

And that's a reputational quirk that the Wizards are embracing. They're playing the numbers game, always looking to add to their depth of talent in searching for long-term pieces to prioritize amidst their lengthy rebuild.

Lopsided regular season records and shrewd draft asset accumulation have landed them with five hand-picked first round draftees in the last 15 months, which is to say nothing of the other stagnant blue-chippers whom they've traded for in providing a chance at cracking their young core. Opportunities are there for those who win the organization over, and the preseason's given the fans plenty of names to keep eyes out for.

Who's the Likeliest Dark Horse to Swoop in as a Key Scorer?

The Wizards finished as the 30th ranked team in ESPN's final preseason power rankings, with their numerous youth-based weaknesses overwhelming any of the staff's excitement of what they may have brewing. Someone has to leave this crop of prospects and older veterans in points, and Zach Kram has a wild theory as to who'll take that mantle.

"Cam Whitmore leads the team in scoring," he wrote as his bold prediction for the team. "Whitmore never quite found his footing in Houston, but he joined the Wizards in an under-the-radar trade this summer, and his scoring prowess should fit much better on a young team not trying to win."

"Whitmore has averaged 22 points per 36 minutes across the past two seasons -- the same as Julius Randle, Anfernee Simons and Darius Garland over that span. Among players in Whitmore's draft class, only Victor Wembanyama has scored at a greater rate."

Who Will Whitmore Have to Lap in the Pecking Order?

The third-year pro is certainly capable of stacking buckets with the best of them, and now that he's no longer buried on the contending Houston Rockets, he'll have plenty of opportunity to show that he's the physical scorer he was hyped up to be entering the 2023 NBA Draft.

Washington could sure use a player of his physical profile, as they're missing that battering ram driver among their own recent draft picks. Fellow guards Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson are promising scorers, but rely more on finesse and their outside jump shots, while Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr don't have offer nearly as much creativity or finishing prowess in spite of their length.