For the season down in the Valley I would say are showing that he's playing efficiently which is good, but in the G-League with his skill set he has certainly been a disappointment from the standpoint of assertiveness, and growing as a playmaker. 50% from the field. 40% from 3. Almost 3 assists a game.... eh... not bad. But then you look at overall how much production they are getting out of him and it's like woah... obviously the guy isn't playing super motivated down there, or doesn't have the ability from the coaching to run the offense through him like they should be... or both a combo of motivation, and a coaching mandate. The data at least shows that the Vipers are a Nate Hinton and Jeenathan led team which is ridiculous knowing those two will almost surely never see a role in the rotation with the Rockets in the near future. This is such an important development season for Cam who has one of the highest ceilings on the team that it's really disappointing so far to see a very lax approach both from Cam and the team. I don't see the urgency from both sides, and that's disappointing. I can't see a situation where him or his agent don't request a trade at least behind closed doors at some point before the deadline.
Of course not. He's in a similar situation as KJ Martin a couple years ago. Little to no leverage, but feeling like he's wasting an opportunity to grow. I don't see a head case like Royce White or Terrence Williams so I doubt we'd see a public temper tantrum. But behind closed doors and maybe with a subtle statement out from his agent sure I don't think it's unexpected to see happen.
I see it the same way. It's only a matter of time. He's not going to be happy with this arrangement for much longer. The only question is how everyone is going to handle it.
Cam also is penalized a bit by where he was drafted because of the financial aspect of development on a tighter timeline aren’t as much of a priority with his contract. It’s something I hope good agents educate their players about in terms of going in the draft early to take a safe bet of being drafted now in the 14 to 35 spots vs going back to school for a year to take a swing at improving your stock. He’ll make 10 mil or so in his first 3 seasons guaranteed vs risking dropping to the 2nd round the next season and earning potentially only a couple min guaranteed if he falls. However if you take the “safe” bet now to go early you will have to fight tooth and nail to get PT because priorities will go to players on my critical contracts drafted higher or recently signed in FA. It’s not fair but it’s the nba and it’s a business. Get a good agent first and foremost who won’t just get you drafted but will build you as a brand and really put you in the best position to get drafted as high as possible and if not maneuver to get you to a team that you know has major holes in their roster where you play.
It was good seeing Cam engaged and genuinely cheering on the team yesterday. His scoring tools would be valuable to this group if he's bought in. If he locks in on D, his physical tools fit right in with the overwhelming athleticism of Amen/Tari and company, even if he's prone to lapses. Really I think the coaching staff is just waiting for him to show maturity about his lack of PT. If he gets 20 minutes rather than 8, he'll be back in rhythm and less likely to go into tunnel-vision mode. But he might not get that shot before an injury opens up PT.
I think he got in Ime's dog house for lack of effort on defense. Jalen showed growth this year with his effort on defense. We held GS to 90 points - we're legitimately a top tier defensive team! We could be the 2004 Pistons if we can make a trade to get us a player that can get us buckets in clutch moments like Rasheed and Billups did for the Pistons!
I understand where you are coming crom but the Rox perspective how you think they can motivate Cam to play good winning basketball? Pelicans have tried to motivate Zion and Sixers/Nets have tried to motivate Simmons but mindset, drive and ambition has to come from within.
Its always better to be a first round free agent then bet on yourself as a second rounder. Its always better to be a guaranteed multi millionaire than bet between making it large or getting cut. Whitmore had injury concerns from scouts going back to school is such a big risk.
For sure. It’s the smart bet that would have taken myself. I mean 10 million dollars for any normal person is a life changing amount of money and can even seed generational wealth. It’s a smart bet. Im just saying that from a team investment perspective, him and other non top 10 picks definitely do get penalized for their draft position in term of playing time priority because of the financial investment and risk aspect. It’s just the business of the game. That said from the perspective of a high ranking high school prospect seeking an agent for my kid, I would be looking for agents who have a track record of building a brand around your prospects with name ID, hype, and intrigue. If all else fails sure you want an agent who will advise the smart move in the end, but you really want to make sure you get an agent who has a track record for getting their clients drafted as high as possible to really maximize your kids ability to get opportunity if they do get drafted. It’s a tough league for late first round picks and even tougher for 2nd round picks. Pretty luxurious for top 10 picks with multiple years to prove yourself and likely a max extension just because they don’t want to be wrong about what they invested to get you. While guys who are just as talented as you can barely sniff the court in garbage time and don’t improve with consistent competitive gameplay in the big league. Cam took the bet I would have taken for sure, but in hindsight had he and his agent taken a bigger swing and stayed back a year it’s easy to see him being the Wizards starting 2 guard right now with 3 seasons to learn on the fly and probably get a max extension in 2028 or whenever.
He made a nice pass intransition to a wide open Sheppard but Sheppard opted for a tougher shot(and miss) and I saw the irritation in Imes face even being up 20 points lol
Uh agents dont decide where you get drafted lol. No agent can guarantee or ensure you will be drafted in the lotto it all depends if some front office likes you. Whitmore staying back a year he would have to fire the agent that tells him to wait. A bad fall or torn meniscus in college and he is looking at a 2nd round pick or even undrafted status. Players who need to stay back are guys projected at the 2nd round or worse like Johnny Furphy or Bronny James. If you're.projected top 10 lotto like Whitmore you declare for the draft. He fell to the first round but thats better than risking it one more year hoping he'd be in the lottery. Btw theres no financial security for top picks anymore than non lotto picks. They get the same contract terms just more guaranteed money. For example Wiseman only got his 4 yr deal and then had to play at minimum salary after because he sucks. The draft is like the job interview, sure you can hire an agent good at marketing and boost your stock but at the end of the day you still get a 4 yr contract like everyone else. Just the amount will differ depending on where you got drafted. Whether you get that second deal is gonna be based on your play and perceived potential more than where you were drafted.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rockets/article/cam-whitmore-minutes-stats-19992681.php Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore has spent the better part of the last three months shuttling back and forth between Houston and the Rio Grande Valley on multiple G-League assignments. It is not the most glamorous lifestyle, but the second-year forward said his mindset is not location-dependent. “To go kill ‘em,” Whitmore said on Thursday morning. “Whatever’s in front of me, I’m gonna be lights out. I’m on assignment, so I’m just gonna go down there, I’m gonna keep grinding every day, keep getting better — better human being and a better basketball player.” … Even if it is hard to prove via box scores, Whitmore said he believes he is a better player now than he was as a rookie. “I mean, yeah. I didn’t really get enough showing to show that. It’s hard to do that in little spurts, to be honest,” Whitmore said. “But that’s the NBA, so. Last year I think I did a pretty good job ending off my first year but I mean, just keep going.” … Udoka said that Whitmore’s playing time depends on the availability of other players, but also on Whitmore’s improvement in key areas. “I’d say it’s both,” Udoka said. “It’s hard to play 10 (guys) at times. I think we struggled with that a little bit, finding consistency early in the year, playing more people. And then as always, we have Aaron (Holiday) on a need-be basis, spark plugs and scoring threats that come in and give us a little bit of juice. And so it’s a little bit of both. Obviously, the guys that are healthy, there’s gonna be a limited amount of minutes, but when we do need the spark, you see me throw in anybody to kind of give us that.” Offensively, Whitmore has shown he can be that spark. In 11 G-League games played with the RGV Vipers, Whitmore is averaging 28.8 minutes, 19.3 points on 50.3% shooting and 5.5 rebounds. He is shooting 40.7% on 3-pointers while making an average of 3.4 per game. He is also averaging 2.6 assists, 2.6 turnovers, 0.7 steals and 0.5 blocks. But he said Udoka wants him to be consistent on defense, a message the Rockets coach reiterated this week. “Defensive recognition is a big thing with him. We really were harping on that,” Udoka said. “Shot selection was the other, and I think he improved in both those areas. I’d like to see him rebound a little bit better and do some things as far as that, but overall, the impact he had down there playing and getting the live game reps was good for him, and we saw some things to continue to grow with that.” Defensive recognition, like the sort lacking when Whitmore left Pelicans guard Antonio Reeves wide open for a corner 3 on consecutive possessions late in Thursday’s game. Shot selection comes easier to Whitmore, particularly when there are limited bodies between him and the rim on a fast break. Right after Reeves thankfully misfired on his second 3-point attempt, Whitmore went coast-to-coast for a layup which wound up the Rockets’ final basket of the game. Whitmore’s other field goal came less than a minute after he checked in, when Brooks had his dribble knocked away in the paint and Whitmore scooped it up for a two-handed dunk. That reactivity is part of how Whitmore said he is working to be “10 times quicker.” “Making quicker decisions on the fly, offensively and defensively,” he said. “Just being aware and locking in. Offensively, just being fully aware of what’s going on off-ball.” … Of course, Whitmore would like to reprise the larger role he had with the Rockets at the end of last season. While going from a featured actor back to an extra has been difficult, he said he is trying to be patient. “Then again, that’s life,” he said. “Just got to keep grinding, keep putting your head down. I just take it day by day. I’ve got my family, my peers, my friends around me just at the end of the day to keep me encouraged, keep my head high, make sure I don’t do nothing unusual. But just, you know, keep it in God’s hands.”
I am not 100% certain Ime is right - I think a good coach knows how to get what he wants out of different talents, and not one that just forces everyone to conform to his system. I don't believe Ime is a championship coach, I don't believe he knows offense well enough, but he is only a 2nd year coach, so he has time to grow too. DD
Some coaches like udoka are too rigid. He reminds me of JVG. Van Gundy would rather play his old trusted veteran role players like clerence weatherspoon and juwon howard over a younger, talented players like Mike James and bonzi wells. All I know is if cam was the second or third overall pick in the draft, he would be given every opportunity to play like green and Sheppard. It’s the same reason Jabari starts over Tari, even though Tari is clearly the better player.
The article that JR plagiarized makes it quite clear - the issue is defense. He left a man open twice in the corner. He got lucky, but getting a layup on one side doesn’t excuse allowing an open 3 on the other. Cam will be fine eventually and may end up with a starring role, but he must learn the team game on both sides first. I’m going to assume the guy who has a one of the youngest teams in the league playing exceptionally well knows what he is doing on both rotations and development.
There's no universe where he isn't playing ahead of Reed if Cam's head was right. The difference is that Reed plays a relatively smart game, whereas Cam does what is best for Cam. If you could combine the best of those two you'd have a hall of Fame level basketball player. Combine the worst of them and you have a JUCO kid.
Tari is always injured so Jabari is the better player. The best ability is playability. If you look at 3 pt shooting Jabari is shooting 36% while Tari has plummeted to 30%. Jabari is the starter because he deserves to be the starter. If Udoka starts playing Tari 36 mins a night switching between PF and C he'd prob have a season ending injury with the way he's going.
