Will Riley's rookie season has been full of flashes that have not only offered optimism about the Washington Wizards rookie draft class, but about the direction the team is headed in as a whole.
Washington has already seen enough from No. 6 overall pick Tre Johnson to know that the sharpshooting guard will be a key to the team's future plans moving forward, especially alongside newly acquired Trae Young in the backcourt.
However, as a top pick, it was widely expected for Johnson to solidify himself in those plans from the jump.
For Riley though, not many knew exactly what to expect after one season at Illinois, where he served as a sixth man for the Fighting Illini coming off the bench.
Despite that, he's shown plenty of reasons to believe there's more to his game than just being a contributor off the bench.
Fortuntaley, the oversized guard has the perfect opportunity to prove that to the Wizards coaching staff and the front office down the stretch of the season.
Will Riley has to standout in his starting role
With the Wizards recent surplus of injuries to the roster, Washington's head coach Brian Keefe has been forced to test out a variety of different lineups.
Between the absence of Kyshawn George, the rest nights for Young, and with future Hall of Famer Anthony Davis still sidelined, the first-year man has found himself in the starting lineup over the team's recent stretch.
And considering the flashes he's shown, especially in front of Brian Keefe, including his G-League explosion, it's not shocking to see the team give the first-round pick the opportunity to flourish in an expanded role.
However, an opportunity is only good news if the Big Ten product can seize it.
With the perfect mixture of raw talent, high IQ and great size, there's plenty of tools at Riley's disposal to put it all together, and if he's able to do it now, he could solidify himself in the team's plans.
Riley can be more than a role player
It seems safe to say that when healthy, George will assume his role in the team's starting lineup.
Looking ahead to next season, there's no real way to predict the team's rotation minutes, at least not until Davis returns to full health and the team's depth chart is unveiled.
Still, Riley has everything needed to be more than just a role player on the team.
In fact, Riley can prove to be the sixth man that could elevate the Wizards to the next level in the Eastern Conference.
Beyond that, there's no real ceiling for his potential, especially if he can prove to make the best of every opportunity he receives.