Life after leaving the Rockets hasn't been easy! Whitmore's playing time keeps dropping: even less than during his Houston days

On November 9th Beijing time, Whitmore, known as the "White Wizard," has experienced a continuous decline in playing time, indicating that life after leaving the Rockets is also challenging for him.

Previously, Whitmore signed with the Wizards, and many anticipated he would receive ample playing time to truly fulfill his potential. Yet, judging from the data since the season started, this has not happened. In the Wizards' heavy defeat to the Cavaliers, Whitmore played only 4 minutes and 56 seconds, all during the first quarter. Wizards player Jankal noted that Whitmore's minutes have been steadily decreasing.

In the game against the Magic, Whitmore played 15 minutes and 37 seconds, scoring 8 points with 2 rebounds and 2 steals; against the Knicks, he logged 11 minutes and 10 seconds, scoring only 2 points and 1 rebound; versus the Celtics, his playing time dropped again to just 7 minutes and 57 seconds, contributing 2 points, 1 steal, and 1 block; and against the Cavaliers, he played only during the first quarter for 4 minutes and 56 seconds without scoring.

Head coach Brian Keefe stated that Whitmore’s reduced minutes are not due to his performance. Keefe said, "He will continue to get opportunities; he is doing well." However, other bench wings like Watkins (20 minutes), Kispert (20 minutes), Champagne (19 minutes), and Riley (10 minutes) all received more playing time than Whitmore in the game against the Cavaliers.

After the game, Keefe mentioned that he wanted to evaluate other players, especially Watkins, during rotation minutes.

This summer, the Wizards traded two second-round picks to acquire Whitmore from the Rockets. The small forward was selected 20th overall in the 2023 draft. At 21 years old, he will be eligible for a rookie contract extension next offseason. However, to secure a big contract, Whitmore’s current situation is not favorable, facing intense competition. Data shows he is averaging only 13.8 minutes per game this season, whereas during his two previous seasons with the Rockets, he averaged 18.7 and 16.2 minutes per game respectively.