The Rockets are releasing behind-the-scenes video footage of their summer squad, which featured Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore in starring roles.
Despite a 2-3 record, the NBA’s 2024 summer league was largely a successful one for the Houston Rockets.
The biggest reason, of course, is that the most anticipated prospect on that team fared well. In his first action with the team, rookie guard Reed Sheppard — drafted at No. 3 overall in the 2024 first round — earned All-Summer League First Team honors.
In four games from Las Vegas, Sheppard averaged a team-high 20.0 points (50.0% shooting), 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.8 steals.
Of the three losses, two came without second-year forward Cam Whitmore, who won summer-league Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors in 2023. One came without Sheppard, and the other was a lethargic performance on night two of a back-to-back.
Thus, when viewing summer league through the parameters of which players are likely to impact the Rockets in the 2024-25 season and beyond, it was a strong showing for Houston’s top prospects.
Courtesy of the team, here is behind-the-scenes video footage of the summer Rockets. The complete video, which includes a wide range of practice clips and interview snippets, can be viewed below.
This week’s podcast explores what’s next for the Rockets as the 2024 offseason continues, including contractual decisions for Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green.
With the calendar turning to August this week, September isn’t far away. That’s the month that training camps around the NBA will open for the 2024-25 season, which starts in October.
In Houston, the young and improving Rockets are coming off an encouraging 41-41 season. That 19-win improvement, relative to 2022-23, was the biggest annual jump of any NBA team in 2023-24.
So, as a new season approaches, what comes next for Ime Udoka and Rafael Stone’s Rockets? This week’s podcast episode of The Lager Line, hosted by Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves, explores key themes to watch for as the offseason enters its final weeks.
Tuesday’s episode, which is sponsored by Clutch City Lager of Karbach Brewing, can be listened to below in its entirety. Each episode is also made available via flagship radio station SportsTalk 790 and to all major podcast distributors under “The Lager Line.”
Rockets forward Cam Whitmore is done playing at the NBA’s 2024 summer league, but rookie Reed Sheppard is not, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
Second-year Rockets forward Cam Whitmore is ending his 2024 NBA summer league stint after three games, as first reported by Kelly Iko of The Athletic. However, rookie guard Reed Sheppard will continue to play in Houston’s final two games, Iko reports.
With averages of 16.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, Whitmore ranked second on the summer-league Rockets (2-1) in all of those categories. However, he shot just 38.3% from the field and 7.1% on 3-pointers, largely due to a woeful 1-of-15 showing (6.7% FG) during Monday’s lethargic loss to Detroit.
Monday’s game was day two of a back-to-back for the Rockets and their third game in four days, so fatigue may have played a role.
When rested, Whitmore was much more efficient during Houston’s first two games, which resulted in dominant victories over the weekend versus the Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards.
Sheppard is leading the summer Rockets (statistics) in points and assists, while Orlando Robinson is the leading rebounder. Houston resumes its schedule Thursday night versus Minnesota.
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The Houston Rockets are shutting second-year forward Cam Whitmore down for the remainder of summer league, sources tell @TheAthletic. No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard will continue to play in Vegas.
As 2024 summer league continues, the Rockets will need to decide whether it’s worth it to continue playing Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore.
Having never been a general manager or head coach of an NBA franchise, my opinion doesn’t carry much weight regarding the decisions made by the Houston Rockets during summer-league play.
Yet, if I did have the chance to talk to Rafael Stone or Ime Udoka, I would offer them advice about the playing time of rookie guard Reed Sheppard and second-year player Cam Whitmore heading into Thursday’s matchup versus the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“Shut them down,” I would say as loud as I could. It could be a similar template to 2023, when talented second-year prospects Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason played the first two games at summer league before watching the remaining games from the sidelines.
In 2024, even though the Rockets (2-1) are still in contention to make the summer-league playoffs and perhaps return to the championship game, Sheppard and Whitmore have already proven to have chemistry together. That was one of the main reasons they were paired together in Las Vegas, as they have the potential to play together on Houston’s bench unit during the 2024-25 season.
Cam Whitmore and Reed Sheppard did a little bit of everything in their second #NBA2KSummerLeague game combining for 47 PTS & 10 STL leading the @HoustonRockets to victory!
The two did not perform at their best in Monday’s 87-73 loss to the Detroit Pistons, when they combined to shoot 7-for-32 from the field and 0-for-7 from 3-point range. Some of their play could have been due to the fatigue of playing back-to-back games, but they have displayed enough in the three games played for Stone and Udoka to get a sense of how to plan the rotation heading into training camp.
Some might say that Sheppard, the No. 3 overall selection in the 2024 NBA draft, could benefit from getting more reps against NBA competition. But, why take the chance of Sheppard getting injured (remember, Amen Thompson sprained his ankle in summer league a year ago) when his 3-point shooting and high basketball IQ could be valuable to the Rockets during the upcoming regular season?
In his lone collegiate season at Kentucky, Sheppard led the nation in 3-point shooting percentage (52.1%) on his way to being named the 2023-24 National Association of Basketball Coaches National Freshman of the Year. It’s a skill that could be useful to the Rockets, who were among the NBA’s 10 worst teams in 3-point accuracy last season, and that might prompt them to be cautious at summer league.
“Keep getting in the gym and keep building relationships with your teammates,” Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard says of his summer-league priorities.
Two games into the NBA’s 2024 summer league in Las Vegas, Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard is already showing why he’s a vital piece of Houston’s new formula for returning to the postseason.
At the moment, Sheppard is averaging 22.5 points per game, which ties 2023 summer-league MVP Cam Whitmore for Houston’s lead.
In that case, he can not only help the team reach its short-term goal of winning a summer-league title, but he may also give head coach Ime Udoka a better feel for where he fits in the rotation.
Sheppard, the Rockets’ No. 3 overall selection in this year’s draft, is taking it all in — one day at a time. He knows that the process will take time, so as of now, he is just taking it slowly and getting acclimated to playing against the NBA-level competition.
“At the end of the day, it’s basketball,” Sheppard said after helping his team improve to 2-0 by defeating Washington. “You get to go and play the game you love with really good players and teammates, and I am super pumped to get out there and play the game I love.”
One promising sign is the chemistry that Sheppard and Whitmore have established. Throughout Sunday’s game, the former Kentucky standout found Whitmore slashing to the basket for multiple dunks that brought the crowd to their feet. That included regular-season teammates Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson, seated baseline.
“It’s very exciting playing with Reed,” Whitmore told reporters after the 18-point victory. “He can do everything, even on the defensive end. Even though he is not the tallest, he still has skills; he can get in the gaps and can get in the passing lane. He can finish, play-make, he can shoot. He can do everything on the floor.”
The rookie’s performance is not going unnoticed on social media, with esteemed NBA veterans like Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies among those acknowledging Sheppard’s game on their social media platforms. Even with that type of attention, Sheppard remains focused on improving.
“Keep getting in the gym and keep building relationships with your teammates,” Sheppard said when asked about that praise. “Just stick to yourself. Don’t try to be anyone else or anyone.”
Rockets forward Tari Eason: “Go and watch film. Tell me if you can definitively say there are nine rookies better than Cam Whitmore.”
Houston Rockets rookie Amen Thompson, who was drafted in the 2023 first round, was named Monday to the NBA’s All-Rookie second team for the 2023-24 regular season. Combined, the first- and second-team honors go to 10 players from the previous year’s draft class.
Fellow rookie Cam Whitmore, also a 2023 first-round draftee of the Rockets, received votes but not enough to make the team.
Someone who disagreed with that result is second-year forward Tari Eason, who was a second-team member in his rookie season one year ago.
After Monday’s announcement, Eason posted this message to X (complete with thinking and face-palm emojis):
Go and watch film. Tell me if you can definitively say there are nine rookies better than Cam Whitmore.
Go and watch film tell me if you can definitively say there’s 9 rookies better than cam whitmore🤔🤦🏾♂️
Much of this debate comes down to voting criteria. Whitmore averaged 12.3 points (45.4% FG, 35.9% on 3-pointers) and 3.8 rebounds in only 18.7 minutes for the Rockets. On a per-minute basis, those numbers make him one of the most dynamic scorers of his class.
However, Whitmore only played in 47 NBA games. While very athletic, he entered the league at 19 years old and was viewed by many around the league as being a raw talent. Thus, he spent much of his first two months as a professional with Houston’s G League developmental affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers.
When the calendar turned to 2024, Whitmore made himself a rotation fixture, and there’s a strong case to be made that he’s among the top-10 players from his draft class when it comes to potential and upside. Thus, by film and deciding who the currently “better” player is — seemingly Eason’s criteria — it’s hard to argue against it.
But, some voters likely made their selections based on total production to date, including the sheer volume of rookie-year output.
There are cases to be made both ways, but Whitmore’s teammate clearly has his back, and perhaps that’s the most important thing.
#Rockets Amen Thompson voted 2nd team All-Rookie. Thompson received 10 1st team votes, 80 2nd team votes – was listed 1st or 2nd team on 90 of 99 ballots. Cam Whitmore received three 2nd team votes. pic.twitter.com/4Ing64fXuf
“The possibility of adding another young talented player in the draft or through a trade, we’re excited about that possibility,” Rafael Stone says.
Known for his strategic thinking, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone found himself in an unfamiliar position on Sunday after the NBA’s 2024 draft lottery. The annual event determines where teams pick in the first round, which takes place this year on June 26.
For the past three years, Stones selected players out of necessity in Houston’s rebuilding phase, which was brought on after James Harden’s departure. So, when the Rockets surprisingly secured the No. 3 pick in 2024, Stone was left with a strategic choice: keep the pick or trade it in a package for a veteran player or future assets. The decision could significantly shape the team’s future.
With Houston’s existing young core of rotation players, it might seem unlikely it would add another young player who would compete for minutes. However, that is not necessarily the case.
“The possibility of adding another young talented player in the draft or through a trade, we’re excited about that possibility,” Stone said in a post-lottery press conference. He had just arrived at the draft combine in Chicago after scouting prospects in France in recent days.
That seemed an unlikely scenario after the emergence of Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, who played key roles as rookies in helping the Rockets go 41-41 last season. Add in the developmental leaps made by shooting guard Jalen Green and center Alperen Sengun in their third seasons — and promise shown by second-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. — and Houston has the blueprint to be a special team.
“The guys we have in the locker room today, we’re excited to bring back,” Stone said at his end-of-season press conference last month. “We’ll look at things, but, again, I don’t view our roster as, ‘We’re missing X; we need to go find it.’ It’s not like we have a gaping hole.”
Many college and NBA analysts believe this draft class is weaker than in most years. The consensus is that many top-10 players in this class are outstanding role players, rather than superstars. If Houston keeps the pick, it could help them in the future by allowing their selection to develop with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ G League affiliate.
“I think last year’s draft was a different draft than we’ve seen in a while, just because there was so much attention focused on just one guy (Victor Wembanyama),” Stone said. “That wasn’t the case in the two drafts before it, and I don’t think it’ll be the case this year.”
Rockets coach Ime Udoka pointed to Boston’s Jaylen Brown and former NBA player Corey Maggette as players that rookie Cam Whitmore reminds him of.
When Ime Udoka led the Boston Celtics to the 2022 NBA Finals, one of the best players on that team was All-Star guard Jaylen Brown. Now that Udoka is coaching the Houston Rockets, he sees one player among his 2023-24 rotation that shares some similarities.
When asked who explosive rookie scorer Cam Whitmore reminds him of, Udoka identified Brown and longtime NBA veteran Corey Maggette. Of course, Whitmore is clearly not at Brown’s level yet,
Here’s what Udoka said Thursday on “The Matt Thomas Show” via SportsTalk 790, the official flagship radio station of the Rockets:
There are a lot of similarities to someone I just had recently, Jaylen Brown. It’s funny, our whole coaching staff, a lot of us came from Boston and had coached Jaylen Brown. It’s very similar, as far as the way they play. But even how they think, and movements, and all that.
I’ll take it back a little bit to a guy I played against, Corey Maggette. He has some of that downhill physicality, and he has that at a young age, already. Similar as far as those two, but Jaylen Brown is the guy that we all see a lot of similarities with.
The complete interview segment can be listened to below.
Whitmore is averaging an impressive 12.2 points (46.3% FG, 36.5% on 3-pointers) and 3.8 rebounds in only 18.1 minutes per game this season. As the No. 20 draft pick from the 2023 first round, his role should only increase as the games and years progress.
Cam Whitmore returned on Sunday after a nine-game absence and scored in double figures in a loss to the Mavericks.
After missing the past nine games with a right knee injury, Houston Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore returned on Sunday and scored in double figures in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
Whitmore sustained a sprained lateral collateral ligament on March 10 in a win over the Sacramento Kings. He progressed well in his recovery and was cleared to return by the medical staff at the three-week mark following the injury.
The 20th pick produced 13 points, five rebounds, three steals and one assist in the 125-107 loss. He went 5-of-12 from the field, including 2-of-6 from 3-point range, in 22 minutes off the bench as the Mavericks snapped the Rockets’ 11-game win streak.
Rockets coach Ime Udoka was pleased with his performance.
He looked good. He looked active, fresh. He didn’t get tired. We were keeping him around that 20-minute limit. (I) loved his aggressiveness right from the start. He looked good, didn’t look winded at all.
The addition of Whitmore gave the Rockets a boost in the lineup, as they’ve been playing without Tari Eason (leg) and Alperen Sengun (ankle). However, Luka Doncic (47 points, 12 rebounds) and the Mavericks proved too much in the end.
Whitmore has emerged as a key player with the Rockets over the season and has provided a scoring punch in the second unit. The team will need all the help it can get down the stretch given it is two games behind Golden State for the last play-in spot.
The 19-year-old is averaging 12.1 points and 3.9 rebounds on 36% shooting from 3-point range in 39 games this season with the Rockets. He has recorded four 20-point games, including a career-high 25 points and six rebounds on Feb. 2.
After missing nine games with a knee sprain, rookie Cam Whitmore returned to the playing rotation in Houston’s home game versus Dallas on Sunday.
After missing Houston’s previous nine games with a sprain to the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee, rookie wing Cam Whitmore rejoined the Rockets’ playing rotation for Sunday’s home game versus the rival Dallas Mavericks.
Whitmore last played March 10 in Sacramento.
To test the knee, Whitmore went through strenuous workouts after Friday’s game-day shootaround in Utah and an intense, simulated game, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Once completed, Whitmore reported no pain and felt back to normal.
He will initially be limited to a maximum of about 20 minutes per game, head coach Ime Udoka said prior to Sunday’s game.
Houston (38-35) entered Sunday with 11 straight wins and a 13-1 record in March (best of any NBA team), yet they still trailed Golden State (39-34) by a game in the race for the final Western Conference postseason spot. Thus, the Rockets need all the help they can get, particularly versus a quality opponent like the Mavericks (44-29).
Drafted at No. 20 in the NBA’s 2023 first round, Whitmore has consistently provided a spark off the bench for Houston this season.
An athletic and powerful force at 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, Whitmore is averaging 14.9 points (45.4% FG, 34.3% on 3-pointers) and 4.6 rebounds in just 20.1 minutes over his last 19 games played.
