Whitmore’s recent post game interview should be concerning for Rockets fans who want him to be a core piece.
Ever since draft night 2023, Cam Whitmore has felt underappreciated for what he brings to the game, as he watched himself slide all the way down to the 20th pick in the draft, after being projected to be picked in the top five. Not only did not being a lottery pick cost him money, but he now found himself on a crowded Houston Rockets roster that was ready to prioritize winning over player development. Cam found himself often on the bench when he wasn’t in the Rio Grande Valley playing for the Vipers. However, the injury to Tari Eason opened up a path to get Whitmore minutes with the big club and ultimately he would play 47 games in 2023-2024, averaging 12.3 points-per-game in 18.7 minutes.
Coming in to this season, many Rockets fans were anticipating that Cam Whitmore would be taking the next step and find himself a regular part of the rotation, at the expense of minutes from the likes of Dillon Brooks, Jae’Sean Tate, Jeff Green, and even Jalen Green. In the month of October, Whitmore played 12.4 minutes per game in five games. He struggled offensively in his limited minutes and saw his time reduced to 5.7 minutes per game in just three contests in November as the back and forth between RGV and the big club began.
In the month of December, injury to Tari Eason has once again made space for Cam to get his chance to make a contribution to the Rockets winning. As Whitmore was checking in to Wednesday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, Rockets sideline reporter for the Space City Home Network Vanessa Richardson reported that she asked Ime Udoka how Whitmore is improving on the things that his coach wanted him to work on in the G-League. Those were his defensive recognition and shot selection. According to Richardson, Udoka said that Cam is “much better”. Udoka wants guys on the floor to know the schemes and the other team’s personnel in order to take away the strengths of the Rockets opponents, and it seems that he feels Whitmore is improving in that area.
In regards to his shot selection, Richardson reported that Udoka believes Whitmore is one of the Rockets best catch-and-shoot players on the team and they want him to be confident and aggressive in those situations. This was immediately followed up by Rockets play-by-play announcer Craig Ackerman commenting on the maturity that Cam had displayed since being called back up to the team from the Rio Grande Valley.
Cam went on to score 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting in 24 minutes on the floor. When he entered the game, the Rockets were on another one of their dry spells on the offensive side of the ball, which saw the Houston deficit reach double digits. His offense was a big catalyst in the Rockets retaking the lead and ultimately winning comfortably. His postgame interview raised many eyebrows, however, as was highlighted by TDS editor Darren Yuvan’s piece “Cam Whitmore’s post-game interview a play for more minutes?”
When Whitmore was asked how it felt to play “consistent minutes”, his response was, “I don’t think it was consistent minutes.” He also said that he “contributed a little bit” but that it “doesn’t really affect anything… it can’t get me nowhere.” When asked if he didn’t feel good about the way he played, he said “I do, but it doesn’t mean anything.
Shortly after the interview was done, I received a group chat message from former TDS staff writer Lachard Binkley who currently covers the Rockets for SI.com. Lachard was a part of that interview, and he wanted to know from us in the group if he was the only one who found the exchange to be unusual. He wasn’t.
To be fair, Cam does naturally have a bit of an awkward disposition. Sometimes it feels as though he may not be articulating his thoughts as clearly as some others may be able to. It’s important to keep in mind the young man is just 20 years old. But this interview did feel different. It felts as if Cam was truly frustrated. When he was asked if he feels he’s done enough to show he deserves a consistent role on the team he quickly answered “No.” When asked what more he needed to do, his response was, “I really don’t know. I have a lot of question marks for myself, just as you guys…”
Let’s keep it a buck… There is no scenario where I believe Ime Udoka has not communicated to Cam Whitmore what he wants from him, or what he needs to do to earn more playing time. So by his answer, one would assume that Cam believes he has done everything that Udoka has asked of him, or at minimum everything he is capable of doing. It’s just a strange time to vent your frustration to the media when you’re finally getting the minutes, albeit due to injuries on the roster.
Many of us in the writers group chat began to speculate that perhaps Whitmore knows something the rest of us do not know. Did he get news that he’d be heading back to RGV when Tari Eason is available to return? Did he get negative feedback from Udoka on something outside of his offensive performance? Could Cam be on the trade block?
The fact of the matter is that Ime Udoka has had tough decisions to make all season in regard to this roster and who gets minutes and who doesn’t. Earlier this season, Whitmore was making the decision easier with his offensive struggles. However, in the month of December and one game in January, Cam has been really good. He is averaging 12.6 points, nearly four rebounds, and a true shooting percentage of 63.8.
Whitmore hasn’t been a complete dog on defense either with a 107.5 DRTG in the last seven games. It’s easy to understand Cam’s frustrations; especially at such a young age where having the emotional fortitude to deal with these things is a challenge. We shouldn’t expect him to handle it perfectly. Ime Udoka certainly doesn’t begrudge him feeling the way he does, and he addressed that in his interview with Rockets radio play-by-play announcer Matt Thomas.
“I’m totally fine with people expressing whatever they need to express, we have had a ton of meetings one-on-one… There’s an understanding of what’s expected and what’s gonna help you get on the floor as far as growth… The part I will reiterate to him… he understands what he needs to do to be on the floor and improve… I think he’s taken those steps and done that.”
Udoka seemingly wanted to make clear that Whitmore knows what he needs to do, but he also made sure to give Cam credit for his improvement and commitment to putting in the work to what’s been asked of him. If there is one thing we know about Udoka in his time as Rockets head coach, it is that he doesn’t mince words. He probably isn’t holding Whitmore’s hand through this whole thing, but he is giving signals that he’s pleased with his progress. The question is will that be enough to keep Whitmore more motivated and less frustrated.
I’m not suggesting the Rockets need to baby Whitmore through this, but having an understanding that this is a delicate situation can go a long way. It is my humble opinion that everyone on this team has needed to earn their role on the team. In his brief career, Whitmore has earned the right to be on the floor, but so have the players in front of him.
In my estimation, the one player that has more to prove than anyone else is Tari Eason. Not anything to prove on the court, but simply that he can stay on the court. His leg injury is now lingering into another season and it’s concerning. If Cam Whitmore is to find a more permanent role on the team this season, the void cause by Tari being continuously injured might be it.
However, if Eason manages to stay healthy and continues to play well, Cam may find himself back at the back end of the rotation. Can Cam find the patience to wait his turn? Should he have to wait? At what point do the Rockets start considering making moves that free up some roster space for certain players, while simultaneously not sacrificing too much depth? Rafael Stone has already expressed that he’d be shocked if any moves were made this season, but how long before Whitmore and his camp start putting pressure on the Rockets to make a decision?
That remains to be seen, but count me as one of the people who would like to see Cam Whitmore in a Rockets uniform for a long time. My hope is that he can see the long game, that he remains coachable, and continues to get better. That will either force Udoka to play him, or force the Rockets to explore his value in the trade market. For me at least, I hope it’s the former and not the latter.
(For more Rockets content from Nick, please subscribe to the Houston Sports State of the Union Podcast!)