Rockets Assign Cam Whitmore To G League
Filed under news that seemed inevitable, the Rockets announced on Thursday that they had assigned sophomore wing Cam Whitmore to their G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. After an impressive rookie season when he looked like one of the steals in the draft, Whitmore fell out of the Houston rotation in recent days. He has made just 1 of 18 of his attempts from long distance.
It's a numbers game currently in Houston and there does not seem to be a clear path forward for Whitmore. He started the season in head coach Ime Udoka's rotation, coming off the bench along with forwards Amen Thompson and Tari Eason and guard Reed Sheppard, but is now the odd man out with Udoka having trimmed his rotation to nine players. The shooting woes have not helped matters any.
On the year, Whitmore is averaging 6.1 points per game on 38.6% shooting overall and just 5.6% from long distance. Last season, as a rookie, he averaged 12.3 points per game in just 18.7 minutes per contest, shooting 45.4% from the floor overall and 35.9% from long distance on 4.7 attempts per night. The shooting prowess came as a huge surprise as pre-draft, the primary projection was of Whitmore as primarily a powerful slasher. At times last season, particularly in the first half, with 2021 second overall pick Jalen Green heavily struggling, it felt as though Whitmore might break through as the team's primary long-term shooting guard prospect. Instead, the team extended Green for another three seasons this off-season, to the tune of $106 million, demonstrating its long term commitment to his development as a focal point of the team. As of now, Whitmore appears to be the odd man out.
Making matters worse, starting forwards Jabari Smith Jr. and Dillon Brooks are back, third year forward Eason has returned from injury and fellow sophomore Thompson is thriving. Eason and Thompson are two of the team's best players, despite coming off the bench, and themselves are in need of more minutes. The team also used the third overall pick in last year's draft on Sheppard, a sharpshooter with the ability to make plays off the dribble and break open defenses with his ability to space the floor. Sheppard is probably the heir apparent at point guard to VanVleet and will need reps despite not producing much himself at the moment.
Whitmore will have to stay hungry and bide his time in the G League until his next opportunity. One injury and he would presumably be the next man up. Eason and Thompson each missed significant time last season. VanVleet is aging. Things can change quickly in the NBA.
