Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore lead Rockets to 109-91 win over Wizards

Another big Summer League win!

I know it’s only Summer Leaugue, but it appears that the Houston Rockets have something cooking. Second year player Cam Whitmore and rookie Reed Sheppard looked dominant and showed some great chemistry, and the Rockets downed the Washington Wizards 109-91 for their second straight NBA Summer League win.

Whitmore finished the game with 25 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals and a block while shooting 9-for-15 from the field. He looks ready to pick right up where he left off last season as a major contributor off the bench. And should the Rockets decide to move on from Jalen Green at any point, Whitmore looks primed to cash in on those benefits.

Meanwhile, rookie Reed Sheppard had his second straight impressive performance and at least right now, looks like he very well could be the best player from this year’s draft. He finished with 22 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals and a block (yes, that’s 10 steals between them). He was also 9-for-15 from the field, and though he was just 1-for-5 from long distance, he made up for it with a plethora of nifty mid-range shots that looked rather CP3-esque.

But we knew he could shoot. He also continues to impress on the defensive end with fast hands and an impressive defensive IQ by being in the right place at the right time. He now has 6 steals and 4 blocks through Houston’s first two games. It’s also appearing that his playmaking chops may have been underrated, as he’s seeing the floor pretty dang well so far, racking up 12 assists through two contests. Oh, and about that chemistry I mentioned between he and Whitmore?

The Rockets also got a suprising 22 from Orlando Robinson, as he shot 10-for-14 from the field. He’s unlikely to make the team with Houston’s depth at center, but he’s been better than N’Faly Dante so far and could find himself in Rio Grande Valley or possibly an Exhibit 10.

The Rockets also got 14 points from Nate Williams and 13 from AJ Griffin, but they combined to shoot just 10-for-29. I was hoping to see a little more from Griffin so far, but it’s honestly not a major loss if that move doesn’t pan out. The Rockets appear loaded on young talent right now.

Both Sheppard and Whitmore look like they’ll be making immediate impacts with the varsity this year, as at least at this early stage, Sheppard is taking it upon himself to answer any questions about whether or not he’ll start the year out playing a major role in the rotation. With what we’ve seen so far, coach Ime Udoka would be crazy to not give him significant playing time right away.