Cam Whitmore was considered a lock to go in the top 10 of the 2023 NBA Draft an impressive year at Villanova, but he surprisingly slipped on draft night.
There were reports about Whitmore’s attitude issues and concerns with his medical history, but the Houston Rockets took a gamble on him with the 20th pick. It was a worthwhile selection for Houston, who had multiple first-round picks and could for some upside with Whitmore.
That decision is starting to look like it’ll pay off for the Rockets as Whitmore’s minutes have been steadily increasing. After a strong performance against the Brooklyn Nets, Whitmore put on a show in front of the Houston crowd against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
Prior to the game, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham offered high praise for Whitmore, who worked out for the team during the draft process, via Jovan Buha of The Athletic:
Darvin Ham calls Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore a “bright, young superstar.”
“The kid is gonna be special, man,” Ham said. He noted that the Lakers brought Whitmore in for a pre-draft workout.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) January 29, 2024
Whitmore was apparently under consideration for Los Angeles, who went with Jalen Hood-Schifino at No. 17 because he was seen as more of a surer bet to contribute. That choice could come back to haunt the Lakers as Hood-Schifino has yet to make any sort of impact for the parent team while Whitmore continues to get valuable reps off the Rockets’ bench.
While the outside shooting could use some work, Whitmore’s best trait is his athleticism and that was on full display against L.A. as he got loose for several dunks in transition. His combination of size, speed and physicality is reminiscent of LeBron James though not to the same degree.
Rookies don’t develop at the same pace, so there’s definitely still hope for Hood-Schifino to find his footing at the NBA level and becoming a meaningful player for the Lakers. For now, though, it’s looking like Whitmore would’ve been the more fruitful pick.
Cam Whitmore names LeBron James as his biggest inspiration
Before the start of his rookie year, Whitmore named James as his biggest inspiration because of how he was able to block out the outside noise and hype and focus on basketball. He also commended the King for being able to play at such a high level at his age despite all the new talent like himself coming into the league.
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