The Rockets have selected Villanova small forward Cam Whitmore with the No. 20 pick, an epic slide for a player who had long been considered a potential top-five pick, even as recently as a few days ago.
According to Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Twitter link) and Jonathan Wasserman of NBADraft.net (Twitter link), it sounds like ominous medical results were the main reason for Whitmore’s descent down most teams’ draft boards. Both draft analysts note that Whitmore still has a high ceiling, should he stay healthy.
It was also reported earlier this week that subpar pre-draft workouts may have dissuaded some lottery clubs from selecting the strong wing.
A thumb surgery limited Whitmore’s availability at the start of his lone collegiate season. Across his 26 contests with the Wildcats, the 2022/23 Big East Rookie of the Year averaged 12.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.4 SPG and 0.7 APG. A 6’7″ wing, he was also named to the Big East All-Freshman Team.
Though Whitmore, a big swingman with a 6’8″ wingspan, is a middling jump shooter, his abilities as a solid isolation scorer, a creator off the dribble and a finisher in the paint had endeared him to scouts prior to his discouraging medical results. Still just 18, Whitmore was an underwhelming distributor for his position in college, but he does boast intriguingly versatile defensive upside, especially in transition.
Whitmore makes plenty of sense as a flyer pick on a rebuilding Houston team. Earlier tonight, the Rockets selected Overtime Elite guard Amen Thompson with the No. 4 overall pick.
Armed with tough new head coach Ime Udoka, plenty of lottery-grade talent, and the most available cap space in the league, Houston seems primed for an active summer well beyond the draft.
LETS GOOOO!!!!
They needed that.
Rockets fans are so exiting
Whitmore is top 5 talents
Lakers 17
Heat 18
Warriors 19
Those 3 teams don’t know basketball?
I’d say the common thread is they all do know basketball and would argue they can’t afford for their picks to be injury risks as this article describes.
I’d say New Orleans and Utah are the only teams that passed outside the top 10 that make me scratch my head a bit.
Rockets made out big time …..
Cam is going to bring it to teams 5-19 lol.
I really like the twins. Amen can be a 2way star.
Rockets should be looking at Brook. He’s a solid big and mentor for this team. Let’s Smith and Sengun play the 4.
Houston has a lot of 4s, smallball 5s, and guards, but no wings…still a lot of talent. They have to figure out who they’re going to play though
Whitmore, Tari, Tate, and Martin, are all positional wings. They could also slide Amen or KPJ to a wing spot. So what do you mean they have no wings?
Oh and they still have $60 mil to spend if they want to.
Tate is a playmaking wing. The rest are 4s, Tari is a 4/5. They also have guys you didnt mention.
Someone like Khris Middleton would be a really good fit for them
Martin, Tate, Eason even Green can play the wing. Add Whitmore ……. With Brook or a true center. Smith will flourish .
Utilizing the Astros playbook of tanking multiple seasons to rebuild. Hopefully it pays dividends with some finals appearances and even an eventual championship.
No one to bang on trash cans though.
Thompson, Green, Whitmore, Smith, and Sengun, with Porter of the bench as the 6th man. Not bad. Sign a vet (such as Harden) and it’s a young and deep team.
He is what he is. Nothing overly special. He has the same potential at 20 as he had at 5 – and vice versa… potential!
Solid player, at best.
At #5, he’d clearly have been overrated. He did get the much desired 3/4 designation heading into the draft, but with his athletic profile it’s hard to see him guarding out there as he grows into his body, and his offensive perimeter skills are modest for 3. He’s NOT the 2.0 athlete that classmate J. Walker is, although Walker might have some of the same issues.
At #20, whether he’s underrated depends on how ominous the medicals were. I haven’t read anything about it. Unlike most here, I wouldn’t assume it doesn’t matter.
I’m sorry but do you know who we are talking about in this thread? Because that’s wild to think he doesn’t have an outstanding athletic profile. He’s one of the most athletic guys in this draft class. And if you are going simply by his shooting percentages to say his perimeter offense isn’t good, he was coming off a broken thumb to start the year and in the first 10 games are so he wasn’t shooting well, understandably. But from that point on, he shot the ball very well. Sooo maybe go back to the tape and make sure you’re talking about the right guy.
I’m well aware of the player being discussed. Unlike you, I also understand his measurables, demonstrated skills and playing history (he didn’t start playing basketball at Villanova), and how they suggest he might translate to the next level. There’s no real reason you need to, though, particularly if you’re happy with an analysis that begins and ends with he’s outstanding.
He’s a top 5 athlete in this draft class. You did nothing to address any of the valid points I made, I’m happy to have the discussion. You suggest you’ve been following him for years, yet offer up nothing other than the wild take that he’s not a good athlete.
He’s a great athlete (overall), as are most NBA players are. Never said different. Question is whether he’ll prove to be a true 3 in the NBA, because that’s what gives him a 3/4 designation, and a player his size needs that designation to justify a top 5-ish spot in the draft.
Can he be a true 3? Offensively, 60/40 yes, but not a lock. Exceptional power and explosiveness. Good hands, handle, coordination. Poor vision/ facilitation ability. Mediocre shooting across the board since HS (FT shooting is often used as a leading indicator and its not blinking). But defensively is where the real problem is, below 30/70. He’s not even 19 yet, and weighs 235 lbs, and even in shape looks headed to 250 lbs in a few years. Guys that size who can guard the perimeter are few, and the ones that can generally are good to exceptional wrt two athletic attributes: 1) lateral quickness for their size; and 2) length (wing span/ standing reach). Whitmore has neither (in fact, below par in both).
He’s a good prospect. But he’d be a reach in the top 10. Walker is better overall prospect. Neither is really a top 5 in most drafts. The French guy who went #7 meets the 3/4 designation more legitimately, and that’s why he rose up the draft boards so quickly. Miller is a prototype 3/4, and that’s why he jumped Scoot.