Rockets Cam Whitmore Making Compelling Case For Draft Night Steal
The Houston Rockets' appearance during the 2023 Las Vegas Summer League championship should not be a surprise. After bouncing back from a subpar first half against the Portland Trail Blazers on July 7, the Rockets have arguably been the best team during the summer tournament.
Houston has gone through several phases ahead of Monday's contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The tournament began with Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. leading the Rockets to a 2-0 start. After management shut down Eason and Smith, Darius Days and Trevor Hudgins helped the Rockets sustain their dominance.
But out of all the changes, rookie Cam Whitmore has been the most consistent prospect for Houston.
Whitmore's consistency and production should make him the favorite to take home Summer League MVP honors. But each time he stepped inside the Thomas & Mack Center, Whitmore's play should have made teams regret its decision to allowed the Villanova prospect to fall to the Rockets at pick No. 20 during the 2023 NBA Draft.
"He has just been playing his game," Summer League coach Ben Sullivan said. "I like his physicality. He can do a little bit of everything. He is young and is figuring things out. Overall, I've really liked his game."
Whitmore was a projected top-10 pick who did not understand how he slipped outside the lottery. No team disputed his talents. But Whitmore's injury history became the reason behind his diminished stock.
He was unfazed by the number of teams that passed on his services and described the draft as "the best day" of his life on June 22. But the 19-year-old prospect vowed to use the draft night snub as motivation.
Less than a month later, Whitmore's motives have the Rockets on the cusp of their first Las Vegas Summer League title. Whitmore has appeared in all five games for the Rockets and has averaged 20.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.0 steals.
Sunday evening, Whitmore had arguably his best performance of the tournament with 25 points, four rebounds and two blocks to lead the Rockets to a 115-101 victory over the Utah Jazz.
"I think everything happened for the right reasons," Whitmore said. "I was here training before the draft, and they welcomed me with open arms. We talked after one of the workouts, and I felt this was a comfortable place for me."
The Summer League championship game will determine which hardware Whitmore will have by the time the Rockets depart from Las Vegas. But championship title or not, Whitmore has already established himself as the steal of the draft.
You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24
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