The Washington Wizards future rides on the development of the team's young core.
Washington has taken several swings on potential over the last few years and up to this point, none of those swings have resulted in the team finding the cornerstone player they've been looking for.
At least, not yet.
However, Washington has yet to let discouraging results limit their rebuilding strategy and with general manager Will Dawkins continuously looking for ways to improve the roster.
In what has been a busy offseason for the Wizards, the team has found plenty of incoming players set to make their debut in a Washington jersey this season.
One player in specific that has plenty of optimism about his arrival in the DMV is Maryland native Cam Whitmore.
Whitmore arrived in Washington earlier this offseason in what many view as the most lopsided trade over the last couple of months.
The former first-round pick and lottery projected talent showed plenty of flashes during his tenure with the Houston Rockets, but with lack of playing time at his disposal and no room for the Rockets to allow the young forward to play through mistakes, the team opted to field calls for the talented wing.
Washington quickly jumped to the front of the line of teams interested in the Villanova product's services and managed to strike a deal with the Rockets' for an extremely discounted price.
And while many people wonder why the Wizards feel like they'll be able to develop Whitmore into a key player for them, the Wizards confidence stems from what the team watched Brian Keefe do with [Jordan Poole](https://wizofawes.com/jordan-poole-replace-washington-wizards-realize) this last season.
Following a benching during his first year in Washington, Poole was able to put together a career-year as a full-time starter for the Wizards and a main reason for his success was the confidence and encouragement that his head coach poured into him.
Having a head coach who can [instill belief](https://wizofawes.com/jordan-poole-trade-means-leaving-behind-biggest-supporter-washington-wizards) in his own players, not only makes him a secret weapon to get the most out of his guys, but it allows players to feel comfortable working through mistakes and willing to put the work in to make themselves better not just for selfish reasons, but to prove the individuals who believed in them to be right.
The Wizards have the chance to tap into Whitmore's potential and not only give the forward an opportunity to prove he can be a solid player in the right role, but to prove that he has the talent to be a start in the right situation.
To do that, Brian Keefe will be vital.