Cam Whitmore, the Houston Rockets other first-round draft pick, refuses to be overshadowed.
Much of the buzz surrounding the Rockets the past few weeks focused on the addition of No. 4 overall pick Amen Thompson. However, it’s been Whitmore — who fell to the 20th spot in the NBA draft — turning heads in the Summer League after Thompson went down with an ankle injury.
Whitmore had 26 points on 11-of-21 shooting in Thursday night’s win over Golden State, including three 3-pointers and a handful of emphatic dunks. He also had a Summer League record-tying eight steals as the Rockets (4-0) secured one of the four playoff spots.
The Summer League semifinals are Sunday with the championship game on Monday in Las Vegas.
At one point, the 6-foot-7 Whitmore was considered one of the best two-way players in this year's draft and a potential top five pick by pundits after earning Big East Rookie of the Year honors as a true freshman at Villanova. He averaged 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals on 47.8% shooting from the field for the Wildcats.
There was speculation that medical concerns may have led to Whitmore's slide in the draft, although nothing was made public.
Regardless, Whitmore seems out to prove not only is he healthy but he deserved to be a lottery pick. He's averaging 19.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in four preseason games. His 3.5 steals per game are tied for the most in the Summer League.
He’s looking like a huge steal for the Rockets.
“The game is slowing down for me,” Whitmore said. “My teammates are finding me and I’m finding my teammates. I’m learning the plays and learning where I’m supposed to be on the court.”
The Rockets won just 22 games last season, tied for the second-fewest in the league. They wound up picking fourth overall and took Thompson, who figures to be a major part of the rotation.
But Whitmore is looking like a rookie who could figure into the mix once the regular season arrives, too. ___
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