Cam refuses to get with the program like every other player has. Of course he wants out. Yes, I can blame him for the situation he has put himself in. When people have a pet Rockets player, they usually shift most of the blame to the coach or team when things aren't going well.
You guys are funny, you all know this happens all the time. KMJ just did it, Nash did it, Steve Francis did it, Elway, Manning, I mean it happens all the time - I am not saying Cam has earned anything I am saying that he has a short career and sometimes the wrong team drafts you, and you have to make a stand to get to a better career destination. The problem is that usually screws the org of which we are all fans of, and that is the biggest issue with too many young players......do I think Cam deserves minutes on this years team- 100% yes, we are not a championship team we should be trying to win AND develop so we can increase trade value or make the right decision on who should go.....If Cam becomes Dale Ellis - then we screwed up, if Kenyon Martin Jr, then who cares? But, for his sake, he has to get out of this situation, his career is too short not to.... And it is normal business....whether we like it or not. DD
It's not normal business because it's not normal for a second-year player to resist the team's philosophy and make himself an unplayable outcast. Combining an entitled, sorry attitude with poor play is self-immolation for a young player, as Cam is finding out. Life isn't easy and won't bow down to accommodate you just because you rebel against circumstances you don't like. Again, especially when every single other (old and young) player on the team has bought in and the results are successful. Seriously, if guys like Alpi and Jalen can buy into playing hard defense every game, Cam can also. He needs to get his nose out of the air, eat some humble pie, play hard defense and for goodness sake play within his abilities on offense.
The Rockets are going to have to choose…either Udoka or Cam stays. Magic Johnson made the same demand and the Lakers got rid of Paul Westphaul.
He is not resisting a philosophy, where are you getting that nonsense? He is clearly not happy because he is not playing while lessor players do play. If you were Cam and you had to watch JaSean Gleauge Tate playing, you would be frustrated too, he has to do whatever is right for his career and I just pointed out SO MANY examples of other players that did the same thing not sure why this is so shocking when it is so normal. And Magic Johnson getting rid of Westphal isn't quite the same....lol.... DD
DD, there is more going on and I think you know that. He IS resisting and (combined with what he does on the court) that is why he's on the end of the bench. What's best for Cam's career right now is to play hard defense, play within his abilities on offense, practice hard and understand his personal development isn't the only priority the Rockets have. Jabari, Tari, Amen and Reed have no problem with this.
Yeah, I don't think so, I believe Ime just doesn't trust him and I am not sold on IMe as all that great of a coach, sure on defense he is, but his offense sucks ass....so I am not sure Ime would know what to do with a pure scorer.... If Ime is great, why is this team so **** at starts against poor teams? This is a consistent them - "Physicality, clap, clap, physicality" ....how about coaching em up? Where is the accountability in the 1Q? Popovich had to make concessions for Manu because of his abilities, do you see Ime putting aside his ego for the good of the team - I don't. And there is no way in hell we ever win with this jr. high level offense. DD
I don't think anyone with a job in the NBA other than Nico Harrison would actually think that Tate is a better player than Cam. This doesn't just feel like coach is playing other players over Cam because he thinks they're better fits. It feels like he's deliberately being punished or something. I checked Cam's bball ref and he was consistently getting minutes from Dec 19 to March 3, most games over double digit minutes and many with over 20. Now when the team is injured and absolutely needs bodies, he's suddenly only playing in garbage time? This is definitely deliberate, and who knows maybe he deserves it, but I'm sure something happened behind the scenes for Cam to just lose his role.
I don't trust either one of them, why can't you figure that out? I am looking at this from the org's perspective, you have to play your guys to find out what they are worth, and practice doesn't count - if you don't they rot on the vine, and playing 3rd tier end of bench players over others in a clearly developmental year is flat out stupid. Now, maybe Ime and Cam are in a standoff - if Ime is that intractable, maybe he isn't that great of a coach. Great coaches can work with all kinds of players, like Pop. Cam is in a crowded situation, no doubt, if Brooks or Jalen got hurt he slides in, or if one was traded, but he is 3rd on the depth chart and behind Eason too - rightfully so, I might add, but playing Tate over him, is just pedantic. Ime is in love with mediocre players who hustle on D - I get it, but those players don't win rings. All i want to see is us not waste a developmental year on both Reed and Cam by giving them consistent 12+MPG that they can work through their challenges to being good NBA players, you can't put them in an and out and have a quick hook and expect them to do anything but rebel against it, and demand a trade. Which then means we trade them as still an unknown. To sum up, I am not so much of a Cam supporter as a Rocket's supporter who thinks the org is wasting time! DD
And if I'm Cam, I start acting like an adult and become whatever kind of player my coach wants me to be. But hey, you-as-Cam can just continue to play selfishly and/or poorly and pout when you don't see more court time.
Cam hasn't done **** to demand a trade. You need certain rights and reputation to demand a trade because when you signed the contract you agreed to work for the team till that contract ends. Players who demand a trade so early in their career dont amount to much, you mentioned KMJ and thats a good example, what has he done since demanding a trade? What about Kai Jones? Dude also demanded a trade now look at him ona two way with one foot out of the league. If Whitmore is the same type of player to blame others instead of getting with the program then he wont amount to much. He wont be a winning player and will prob be another JR Smith. From what I have seen though he hasnt demanded a trade and he is way too young to be thinking guys like Tate arent better than him. Last time Whitmore played he put up 5 shots in 3 mins and missed every one lol. Its not like Whitmore has been tearing it up every time he saw play thats why Tate jumped over him. Maybe if Whitmore used his brain more he'd get more minutes. The team is 2nd seed with a bunch of 23 yr olds and you think they are wasting time? The Rox have a lot of young players with potential, and these guys like Jabari, Jalen, Amen, Sengun and Tari all get a lot of development under the winning culture of Ime. Getting wins for all of them is more important than 12 mins of Cam or Reed.
Cam and Tate are completely different players that provide different things for the team. Cam is a scorer, while Tate is more about defense and providing that needed spark when the team is sluggish. Last night Tate was a +30 for the game and was needed. Cam is only 20 years old, I think he has great promise. But, Ime must want something from Cam that he’s not getting at this time. People always want a coach to build a culture and hold players accountable, maybe that’s what Ime is trying to do.
My guess is Cam said something that upset Ime, and now Ime is letting his personal feelings get in the way of doing what's best for the team.
I am personally unimpressed with Ime's offensive philosophy right now - he does preach defense and playing hard (which the guys have clearly stopped listening to lately), and yes, he is probably asking for something that he deems he isn't getting. Now maybe that is Cam's fault, maybe it is Ime's fault - but the org has a mandate to develop their draft picks if they have talent - if you don't let them play, or there is no room for them, it is beneficial for all that they move on..... Cam will have shown promise in year 1, and then mysteriously dropped completely out of the rotation in year 2 - and now faces a very short hook - and he has fallen behind Tate who, IMHO, is not a real NBA player - and shouldn't see the floor as a Rocket - we need those minutes going to players that we need to find out if they are part of the future or not. And all of you CAM HASN"T DONE XYZ to ask for a trade, this isn't the 80s anymore, players have the ability to get out of any situation if they deem it is bad for their career. Maybe this one is bad for Cam's career??? DD
Of course none of us know exactly what was or wasn’t mandated at the beginning of the season but I personally don’t see any evidence that Ime was mandated to develop draft picks over doing what he feels he needs to in order to get as many wins as possible. I also think it’s crazy we say “Cam should do this or that”… imo it should be encouraged for a young player like Cam to have his agent have his back and be in regular communication with the front office about doing what’s best for both parties, and understanding exactly what the KPI’s Cam needs to show to get PT over the vet min guys like Tate. If I was Cam’s family or friend more than anything I’d be encouraging him to fire his agent both for getting him drafted by a team that wasn’t a good fit and obviously being disconnected with the front office on what they need. Point being… Cam at 20 year old shouldn’t have to worry about anything except for playing basketball the way he’s coached to do and he should be shielded from the business side of the game. But yes this summer I do think Stone should move Cam and do what’s best for him to earn a career in the NBA. Time is running out and the NBA chews these type of players up all the time. Stone would be dumb to not take a 2nd rounder or two for him if a team offers it. Morey sure does like to take flyers on players like him when they have few draft assets so Philly would seem to be a good fit.
You know DD that I am not a anti-DD guy. I like your angle and learn a lot from you. I agree with your assessment on Ime's offense. We need help here. So I gotta ask, did you see Tate's +/- last night? I know +/- is not the stat to base much on but it's not meaningless. Especially in a win. I also don't think Tate should ever be the first option off of any NBA teams bench. But he's got a dog in him that the young players need to learn from. When someone who is probably one of the least athletic and least skilled players on the court nets a +30, you have to ask yourself if you are one of the young guns, "what is this guy doing right, and what can I, as a more talented player, learn from him?" I want Cam to play, but I don't want Cam to pout his way onto the court. Amen got his chance and proved he should be a starter, even an All-Star. Jabari got pushed to the bench to make room for Amen. Tari has not made it into everyday starter position, but every time he takes the court it seems like he want to make it hard to take him out. I wish Cam could just show the same grit as those guys and not come across a bit entitled and even petulant.
I agree to some extent what is being said in this conversation. I would like to add in regards to Ime it remains to be seen just how good of a coach he is. But I think imhe has done as of now a phenomenal job in almost all regards. 1. How many wins were the rockets predicted to have last season and the current one? 2. In the last 30 years if you took every team that has played and averaged per min played by the average age played the Rockets would be one extremely young and I would guess one of the very highest % of wins among the young teams. 3. Taking that into regard yes Ime demands hard defense. When you take that into account and the age of the players being tasked to play that defense of course they would be mediocre to bad on occasion on offense. If Ime was middle of the road meaning the defense was less emphasized then the offense would have better numbers. Ime is I presume going to continue demanding hard defense regardless. It is incumbent upon everyone top to bottom as these players get older and begin entering their primes to gradually raise the level of offense while continuing to play hard on defense. That’s how I see it. If the Rockets had a different type of coach then I’m sure Jalen would be averaging about what Booker was averaging was at this point in his career but at the same time giving up more on the other end as well.
*Cue footage of Paul Westphal trying to figure out when he coached the Lakers* I think you mean Paul Westhead. Jerry Buss has already stated that he was going to fire Westhead even before Magic made the request anyway. And I think there are a few steps between Cam and Magic on the stairway of legends.
