Rockets guard Cam Whitmore, who is sidelined for approximately three weeks by a knee sprain, has already turned heads in Houston and beyond during his rookie season in the NBA.
Drafted 20th in the 2023 first round, Whitmore is averaging 12.1 points (46.4% FG, 36.1% on 3-pointers) and 3.9 rebounds in only 17.8 minutes per game this season. If extrapolated over a larger sample, those are potentially elite numbers — to say the least.
This month, one of Whitmore’s better games came in a nationally televised showdown versus the Los Angeles Clippers, who feature star perimeter players Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden. In 24 minutes off the bench, the 19-year-old prospect out of Villanova poured in 17 points, including three 3-pointers.
George certainly seems to have noticed. In a newly posted episode of “Podcast P with Paul George,” presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment, George was asked by a listener about players having great seasons that aren’t being talked about by media members.
George named Whitmore as part of that list. Among his comments, as transcribed by Dave Hardisty of ClutchFans:
I was extremely impressed with his game. He’s a player that is going to shake up some things in Houston and can be a star player. I saw stardom on both ends.
He played hard on both ends. He can shoot it. He can handle. He’s explosive. He was strong. He had a nastiness to him that you don’t really see in a lot of super young guys. He was trying to challenge me. He was challenging Kawhi. He’s a name that I think, because he’s a rookie, hasn’t had much coverage on him, but he will be good.
Paul George on @PodcastPShow dishes out high praise for #Rockets Cam Whitmore:
"I was extremely impressed with his game. He's a player that is going to shake up some things in Houston and can be a star player. I saw stardom on both ends. He played hard on both ends. He can shoot… pic.twitter.com/CSRBUqXUe4
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) March 14, 2024
With George, a nine-time NBA All-Star, playing a key role, the Clippers rallied to win that game versus Whitmore and the Rockets, who were on the second night of a back-to-back.
But Whitmore’s strong showing was a big reason Houston raced to a 20-point lead in the first place, and his athleticism has become a huge part of an improved bench unit for the Rockets.
The complete episode can be listened to below.
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