The Denver Nuggets came into the offseason with a goal of adding athleticism to the roster. They've accomplished that goal. And in the process, by signing Cam Whitmore to a no-brainer two-way contract with zero drawbacks or salary cap hit, they've added a former first round talent who could blossom into his full potential by playing alongside Nikola Jokic in the Nuggets offense.
In a roundabout way, the Nuggets ended up with Whitmore coming back from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the trade that sent Peyton Watson to the Cavs for draft picks. The Cavs acquired the 22-year-old wing as part of the five-team trade, but they waived him and stretched his salary so they could meet their own constraints to clear the NBA's first apron threshold. Their loss could be a big gain for the Nuggets if Whitmore pans out.
Whitmore's style of play is built to thrive next to Jokic
By now, everyone knows that Jokic has a way of elevating all of the players to the best of their abilities who play alongside him. And one of the ways that Jokic makes that happen is by finding the open cutter heading to the rim. That's exactly the kind of off-ball player Whitmore is. He's a slasher and a rim runner, and he uses his strength and athleticism to finish at the hoop. And if Whitmore gets an open look for a lob dunk, Jokic, the best passer in the NBA at rim-assists, should easily find him for the flush.
Jokic already has a history of finding the cutters. Just look at how well Christian Braun played two years in that role, and Russell Westbrook alongside him. They both used their explosive bursts to attack the hoop, and Jokic rewarded them often. Whitmore could be even more explosive than Braun, and he could be an even better finisher at the rim, too.
And if Whitmore is open and gets any space at all, he can use his quick burst to blow by his defender on his way to a layup or dunk. His downhill ability could very well be the best on the team. The problem that Whitmore has had is three-point shooting and poor playmaking ability. He shot just 28.6% from beyond the arc in an injury shortened 21 games with the Wizards last year.
But he shouldn't have to worry about either of those in the Nuggets' offense. Whitmore just needs to find his role as a cutter and finisher and stick to it, and he could blossom next to Jokic.
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