In year three of a full rebuild, Washington Wizards fans knew the agony that might ensue.

16 games into the regular season, that reality has fully set in. The Wizards have lost 14-straight games, marking the fourth time in a three-year span that the team has lost 10 or more in a row.

Wins and losses are not a priority for the Wizards this season. The front office, led by Michael Winger and Will Dawkins, points to individual player development as the objective.

 Maryland-native Cam Whitmore has surged as of late. It's time to see the Wizards buy into his potential.

Whitmore, who was acquired in July from the Houston Rockets for two second-round draft picks, has been a massive microwave scorer for Washington off the bench.

The last seven games reveal massive strides. In that span, Whitmore is averaging 14.3 points per game and 3.6 rebounds per game -- all this in just an average of 21.6 minutes a night.

It begs the question, why isn't he playing more? In Washington's loss to Chicago on Saturday, Whitmore tied his season-high of 20 points on an efficient 70% from the field.

However, head coach Brian Keefe elected to sit Whitmore for the final 3 minutes of the contest. The Wizards ended up squandering their largest opportunity for a win, as of recent.

Whitmore only played 18 minutes in the game, which simply isn't enough. His ability to score at all three levels consistently off the bench has been an impressive development for the Wizards.

The general manager, Dawkins, preached that the Wizards' minutes would be "earned, not given" at his preseason press conference. If that's the case, why is Whitmore still not seeing more significant minutes?

Whitmore's ability to push in transition has also impressed. The Wizards love to push the tempo. They currently rank fourth in the NBA's pace stat, according to NBA.com 

If the Wizards' goal is to push the ball in transition often, they should utilize one of their top assets in that department.

Regardless of his non-extensive minutes overall, Whitmore has at least seen more consistency over the last seven. Before then, Whitmore's minutes decreased in four-straight, with an average of only 10 per night. 

Keefe told reporters his decreased minutes weren't because of how he played, but it was simply just a chance to get looks at other players.

Whitmore's role has began to materialize nicely in Washington. Despite the Wizards showcasing a plethora of young talent coming off the wing, Whitmore's talent has demanded attention.

The Wizards have revealed interest in moving forward with Whitmore. The team exercised his  2026-27 club option on October 29th.

It's time the Wizards reward Whitmore for his recent play on the court. Whitmore has not played 30 minutes in game this year.

Wins and losses are not important to the Wizards this season, but they'd like to see them put out a competitive product. The Wizards haven't done that.

Through the first 15 games, the team's -258 point differential is second worst in NBA history, with only the ``1970-71 Cleveland Cavaliers boasting an abysmal -280 as the worst. 

Whitmore's ability can help the Wizards compete at a higher level. If minutes are truly "earned" this season, Whitmore's done plenty.