The Washington Wizards struggles have been the root to frustration for a fanbase who's desperately hoped to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Washington's coaching staff isn't free of blame, especially considering they're in control of the team that's quietly leading the race for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
However, the coaching staff isn't entirely to blame for the Wizards underwhelming play to start the season.
With a roster full of players failing to live up to the standard, it's only fair to give the Wizards coaching staff grace for the downfall.
In specific, head coach Brian Keefe should be given credit for his efforts to hold his players accountable.
Brian Keefe benches Cam Whitmore
Cam Whitmore was one of the Wizards big offseason additions in an offseason filled with moves from Washington's front office.
The former first round pick entered the league with high upside, and many projected him to be selected within the lottery portion of the 2023 NBA Draft before a pre-draft injury caused him to slide.
Landing in Houston, it was believed that Whitmore's failure to live up to the hype was due to his inability to to get a fair chance on the Rockets roster.
Between his early growing pains, inconsistent playing time and costly mistakes, Houston's general manager Rafeal Stone suggested that a contending roster simply wasn't the place that Whitmore could reach his potential.
Hence to why the Maryland native was dealt to his hometown team this offseason.
Nonetheless, through the start of his first season with the Wizards, it's starting to look like the Villanova product's underwhelming start to his NBA career is the result of his own issues.
Based on the most recent quote from Brian Keefe following his decision to bench Whitmore, it's clear why the Wizards landed the forward on an extremely discounted price.
"We have certain standards that we have for our team," Keefe said. "He [Whitmore[ has to live up to those on the better. And he'll have a chance here, but that's gonna be up to him when that time comes."
When asked for clarification on the standards Whitmore has failed to live up to, Keefe replied saying "That's the stuff we talk about internally, so it's more stuff we saw in the game, but I don't have anything more to comment on that."
Regardless of what standards are being failed to be met, it's clear that the only individual responsible for Whitmore's struggles up to this point is himself.
Until he's able to overcome his self inflicted setbacks, Whitmore won't be ab;e to take the next step in his development.