NBA Draft: could the Washington Wizards draft a franchise forward?

With the 2023 NBA Draft rapidly approaching, the Washington Wizards are left with plenty on their plate. Their star forwards could both leave this summer, Bradley Beal is only in the first year of his controversial contract, and there is a seemingly endless list of names that seem like great choices in the draft available with the eighth pick.

While the first few problems will need to be addressed this offseason, the draft is likely going to give us some insight as to what the new front office is planning. There are options available that would signal going all in with the current roster, and there are options that would point to a rebuild.

This player definitely fits into the latter due to his ridiculous potential as a scoring threat.

Cam Whitmore could be a superstar forward for the Washington Wizards

Standing at six-foot seven, Whitmore has quality size for his position. When combined with a monstrous seven-foot three wingspan, the potential on the defensive end is through the roof. Somehow, this isn’t even close to his greatest strength on the basketball court.

As an 18-year-old freshman for the Villanova Wildcats he averaged 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game with pretty solid shooting splits. Shooting 47.8% from the field, 34.3% from beyond the arc, and 70.3% from the free throw line, Whitmore is an incredibly versatile scorer.

Probably his greatest strength is his ability to make shots around the rim. Whether he is jumping over defenders, reaching around them, or just showing off his skill, he can make just about anything within three feet.

Mix that with his incredible quickness and strength for a player of his youth and size and he will be a tough matchup right off the bat, even if his jumper isn’t fully developed just yet. Finding looks at the rim will come naturally for him, even at the professional level.

He’s even a quality rebounder, something that many young players overlook early in their playing careers.

He has shown flashes of brilliance in other aspects of the game though, giving plenty of optimism that he could become a top player in the league someday under the right guidance.

While Whitmore may seem like a perfect fit, he does have some weaknesses

Cam Whitmore has shown flashes of greatness, this is true. However, just showing flashes means it could take him a few years to fully develop his game following the adjustment to playing against NBA level competition. The Wizards have been impatient in the past with player development, signaling that this may be an issue.

His playmaking has also been subpar at the college level. He only averaged 0.7 assists per game despite getting over 27 minutes of action every night. While he will always have opportunities to find teammates due to his gravity as a scorer, he may lack the vision to create looks for others off of a great pass.

Adding his inconsistent jump shot, and it’s possible his three-point shot never translates to the next level. This is all too familiar for the Washington Wizards with numerous young players failing to add a jumper to their repertoire.

While all of his weaknesses are areas where player can and have improved upon in the past, it is worth noting them as potential red flags should the Wizards decide to draft him. Although, it is still clear that his strengths far outweigh his weaknesses.

If the Washington Wizards decide to move on from their current core, drafting Cam Whitmore as a potential face of the franchise would be a great move for the future. His skill set is clearly advanced for an 18-year-old and the sky is the limit for the former Wildcat.