[2023 NBA Draft/1-20] Cam Whitmore, F, Villanova

Givony:

Confluence of issues. It wasn’t one particular reason. The main one I think they would point to is the medical. There’s some issues regarding some cartilage in his knee that they feel could potentially be an issue for him down the road towards the back end of his career. Not every team rated him as a “do not draft”. He got drafted by the Houston Rockets, who are arguably the most conservative team in the NBA when it comes to medical examinations.

It wasn’t just that. People are looking at the season he had. He underachieved in a lot of ways. I live in NYC. I went to a lot of Big East games. I saw Cam Whitmore quite a bit. I never came away from a game saying “Wow! Cam Whitmore had an incredible impact on that game.” There were a lot of times actually when they were better when he was on the bench. Then you look at some of the workouts he had. People said “Does Cam Whitmore even want to be here?” The energy was low. The interview was not great. So I think you look at all those things together and it starts to snowball. A team like Houston, they were opportunistic. I think it’s a great pick for them at 20. You roll the dice on a high end talent like that. A freakish athlete who can make shots from all over the floor. It’s a good pick but this has to be a wake up call for Cam Whitmore. He needs to ramp up his intensity level and play with a greater degree of urgency to be the type of player we all envision him to be with his physical tools.

 

https://theathletic.com/4634320/2023/06/23/cam-whitmore-amen-thompson-rockets-nba/

Cam, take me through Thursday night. You’re sitting in the green room hearing name after name after name called in the first round. I’m sure there’s a certain level of pride having been assumed to go much higher than No. 20. What’s going through your mind then?

I mean, nothing new. I just knew what it was. Probably after a couple picks, I’m like, ‘All right.’ I know what it is, I know it’s time. I have that chip on my shoulder, but I’ve been overlooked before. It’s nothing new.

When you came to Houston to workout and visit with the team, how was that whole process? Getting to know personnel and everything?

I mean, I already knew all the guys. It’s a new coaching staff coming in, so I think it’s something we can really turn around. We can build that culture back up again. We can make it something special.

There’s clearly a reason you were mocked so highly for so many weeks — the athleticism, explosiveness and scoring potential. How does that pair with players like Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson and others?

It’s a lot of guys. I mean, everybody over there (is) athletic — you didn’t even mention Kenyon (Martin Jr.). But it’s a lot of athletes, a lot of running up the floor, a lot of fun. That’s really it.

Where do you see your game defensively right now? You’ve talked about priding yourself on that side of the ball, and from a physical standpoint, your frame should lend you well at the next level. We saw shades at Villanova. What happens now in Houston?

You mentioned Villanova. We had a tougher conference this year. Every (game) was a battle in the Big East. I think that can really translate to the NBA, and it can really help me out.

What about your potential as an off-ball threat? You were solid in catch-and-shoot situations last year, but movement off the ball as a shooter should come in handy playing for Ime Udoka. The ball could be in a number of players’ hands.

In my opinion, I think I thrived at that when I was at Nova off the ball. But in the modern day game at the NBA, that can translate easily.

Did you watch any film of the Rockets during this pre-draft process? If so, what did you see that intrigued you?

I’m not gonna lie, I watched everybody. All of the teams. I’m just an NBA fan.

What did you see from Houston?

I saw Kenyon Martin Jr. banging on everybody every game, that’s what I saw. But Jalen Green got busy last year. I already know a lot about the guys.

What part of your game do you consider to be underrated? We’ve heard the talk about your ability to process the game as an area for improvement. But how do you see it?

I think I can really pass. Definitely, I made some dumb decisions sometimes. Everybody’s human at the end of the day. But my playmaking ability can definitely improve, and it’s very underrated. But other than that, I can shoot. I know I’m a shooter. Every time I shoot the ball, I think it can go in, but that’s something I’m trying to prove — that I can shoot consistently.

One positive was your cutting ability, finding gaps in defense and exploiting them. How can that pair with a passing big man in Alperen Şengün or now with Amen Thompson?

If someone has the ball in their hands — I went through that at Nova and tried to impact the team in any way possible outside of having the ball in my hands. Trying to impact the team in any way possible, that’s all I’ve been about ever since I was a youngin. Just trying to help the team.

There’s four uber-athletic guys on the roster now: Jalen, Amen, K.J. and now yourself. Who’s winning a dunk contest between you guys?

Dunk contest? Ah, I’m not gonna lie, I’m not really a flashy dunker. Maybe. I got myself up there though. You gotta have the confidence.