NBA Rookies: Cam Whitmore Constructing a Consistent January Amidst Rockets Injuries
As Cam Whitmore has spent the majority of his first NBA season developing with the Houston Rockets' G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, his first three months in the league found him at the bottom of the Rockets' rotation.
"Consistent growth," head coach Ime Udoka said of what's most important for players at the bottom rotation seeking more play time.
And since the start of January, Whitmore's exemplified his own continual development – and has now seen a more consistent role in the absence of an injured Tari Eason, along with previous injuries to Jabari Smith and Dillon Brooks.
Just seven games played for the rookie throughout the first three months of the season has bloomed into 15 games in just this past month, generating 19.7 minutes per contest – compared to just 9.3 minutes in his first seven.
This boom in play time on the bigger stage came after the Rockets' decision to not re-assign Whitmore to the G League on Dec. 7 – as Udoka and co. felt confident in his maturation to that point.
And they were right to be, as these minutes have seen some large production from Whitmore. Adding depth as a scoring threat and another source of rebounding off the bench for Houston, he's finding some necessary experience.
In January, he's averaging 12.4 points on 47-41-74 shooting splits, putting up nearly five 3-point attempts per game and hitting them at a high clip.
And versus Charlotte on Friday, he was able to register a season-high 24 points alongside four threes to back up Jalen Green in scoring and help Houston claim a 34-point win – as the Rockets sit just outside the play-in tournament at the No. 11 seed in the West.
It appears Whitmore will have a fairly impactful role for the rest of the season pending any unknown circumstances, even in the event of Eason's return – but he'll certainly have to keep up his pace of play and continue to grow as his head coach requires.
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