The 19-year-old sensation rewarded Houston for taking a chance on him with the 20th pick.
Cam Whitmore, affectionately known as “Slam” Whitmore around these parts, looked as promising as advertised throughout his rookie campaign. Houston Rockets fans couldn’t be more enthused going forward as he’s firmly cemented himself among the team’s “Core 6.”
Landing Whitmore at pick 20 was the equivalent of daylight robbery as talks suggested he could have went as high as number four to the Rockets leading up to the draft. As we all know, Houston took Amen Thompson at that spot, but for the Rockets to land both at no extra cost is what is truly amazing.
It was apparent early on that Whitmore’s game lived up to his athletic profile as he took home Las Vegas Summer League MVP honors after he led all players in scoring. Even then, it still felt like it would be a slow burn for Whitmore as the Rockets’ wing depth looked crowded going into 2023-24.
With no minutes available in Houston, an extended stint with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers seemed destined, but Whitmore showed that the G-League was only a temporary pitstop. That happens when you average 26 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in 13 games with the Vipers such as the case with Whitmore.
However, it wasn’t until the turn of the new year that Whitmore locked a permanent hold within Houston’s rotation. January became a pivotal month for Whitmore as he averaged 13 points on 48 percent shooting and roughly 41 percent from three-point territory. That carried into February and March, although his three-point percentage dipped down to 32 and 31 percent prior to him sustaining a sprained LCL injury.
Upon returning on the last day of March, Cam was able to finish out the season strong with some promising performances.
For the season, Whitmore averaged 12.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists on 45 percent shooting and 36 percent shooting from deep. Not too shabby considering he only made 47 appearances with his first few coming in garbage time.
Whitmore figures to have a much more expanded role going into his second season and it would only be ill-advised if he didn’t see an uptick in opportunity. Being the extraordinary athlete that he is, we were guaranteed to see a multitude of highlights from Whitmore, but to see him impact winning early on is what is really tantalizing. Houston can only jump further up the League Pass rankings with each game that he plays.
Going into year two, the goal for Whitmore should be to build upon his immense scoring ability, and for him to use his sturdy frame to further enhance his team’s defense in the way that Anthony Edwards has for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Defensive fortitude along with more willingness to share the ball will turn Whitmore from a draft day steal into a flat out star.