Cam Whitmore's arrival in Washington has brought a new sense of confidence to a Wizards team that for awhile has needed it.
Washington's rebuild has been long awaited and much needed, but since the arrival of general manager Will Dawkins, the talent on the team's roster has quietly made them one of the most intruguing young teams in the league.
Between the additions of Whitmore, Tre Johnson and Will Riley this offseason, joining the core already loaded with prospects like Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, AJ Johnson and even Tristan Vukcevic, the Wizards have revamped the depth chart.
And that's not even including the variety of veteran options on the roster with likes of newly acquired CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton serving as the leaders in Washington this season.
The Wizards have an overload of talent and while no one player has emerged as a cornerstone or a future star in the DMV, it can't be overlooked that the talent level on the roster has significantly increased compared to where the roster stood when the season ended in April.
With the Eastern Conference wide open, it doesn't come as a surprise to see teams who haven't made the playoffs in years begin to wonder if this is the season they could break the curse.
Looking at the injuries to Boston Celics' star Jayson Tatum and Indiana Pacers' leader Tyrese Haliburton, it's safe to say the East truly could be won by several different teams this league.
Despite that, not one person has truly considered the Wizards as a dark horse team to potentially make noise in the East this season.
At least, not one person on the outside.
Nonetheless, Whitmore believes that his new squad could turn heads this season and potentially surprise some people.
"I think we can make our mark in the league and in the Eastern Conference," Whitmore said. "The Eastern conference is up for grabs, so let's see what happens"
That confidence could be deemed irrational, but it also may not be as far fetched of a reality as some people would like to admit.
Washington has the young talent, they have the mixture of veterans and they have a bright young mind leading the way in head coach Brian Keefe.
If the Wizards catch fire, it wouldn't be a shock to see them be in the mix of the play-in, especially if a player breaks out for the team along the way this season.
All that to say, keep an eye on the Wizards and don't count them out before the season begins.