Tag: Cam Whitmore

Takeaways: Timberwolves stifle Rockets as Anthony Edwards outduels Jalen Green

Anthony Edwards (32 points in 34 minutes, 50% FG) was dominant, and Minnesota’s defense smothered Jalen Green and the Rockets in Sunday’s blowout victory.

In Sunday’s opener of a four-game road trip, the Rockets didn’t have the firepower to keep up with Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves in a 111-90 blowout loss (box score). As a team, Houston shot  31-of-88 from the field (35.2%) at Target Center and was outrebounded 58-41.

The Timberwolves (35-15) are tied for first place in the Western Conference, while Houston (23-26) falls a game behind Utah (25-26) for the No. 10 spot in the West standings — and with it, what will eventually be the final play-in tournament berth.

Edwards led the Timberwolves with 32 points, shooting 11-of-22 from the field and 4-of-8 on 3-pointers (50%). Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert controlled the paint with a game-high 13 rebounds and 4 blocks. Minnesota was a game-best plus-32 in his 31 minutes.

With 14 points off the bench, emerging rookie Cam Whitmore scored in double figures for the Rockets in a seventh straight game. He shot 4-of-13 from the field (30.8%) against Minnesota’s defense, though he made 3-of-8 from 3-point range (37.5%).

Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 15 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 7-of-14 from the field (50%) while making his lone 3-pointer. Coming off a recent hot stretch, the script was flipped for Jalen Green. He scored just 8 points on 3-of-15 shooting (20%), including 0-of-5 from 3-point range. He had a team-high 7 assists.

Tari Eason (left lower leg injury management) remained out due to injury, though Houston is hopeful he will return this week.

Here’s our look at Sunday’s highlights and postgame interviews, along with reaction by media members and fans. As the road trip continues with its second stop, next up for Houston is Tuesday’s game at Indiana (27-23), where tipoff is set for 6 p.m. Central.

Report: As trade deadline nears, Rockets prioritizing minutes for Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore

As the Feb. 8 trade deadline nears, the Rockets will be careful not to block minutes for rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, Jonathan Feigen reports.

With the NBA’s Feb. 8 deadline looming for 2023-24 in-season trades, the Rockets will be careful not to block minutes for emerging rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, according to Saturday’s update from Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

The Rockets will not sit out the deadline: They already struck one deal to acquire veteran center Steven Adams from Memphis. Adams, however, will not be medically cleared to play until next season. It remains to be seen if general manager Rafael Stone will fortify his 2023-24 roster as Houston (23-25) continues its push for at least a Western Conference play-in tournament spot this season.

The Rockets have a moderate amount of future draft capital to dangle as trade bait, along with multiple expiring contracts to potentially use as matching salary. But with Adams set to bolster the center rotation next season and Thompson and Whitmore improving by the week, the question is how aggressive the Rockets will bid for depth upgrades that aren’t a part of the longer-term blueprint.

In Saturday’s story, Feigen offers more context:

Even in the more modest, typical trade deadline goals of strengthening a rotation for a playoff push, the Rockets would be careful about bringing in players that would take minutes from Whitmore and Thompson.

Whitmore’s shooting has been valuable for a team among their league’s worst in 3-point shooting. Thompson’s defense has been especially strong for a rookie, with his rebounding outstanding any player at his position and his ballhandling and playmaking a plus for a secondary ballhandler (when playing with Fred VanVleet.) …

There could be interest in a short-term upgrade at center, but less pressure to make that sort of move given the likelihood that after the Adams trade, bringing in a sixth center would be for this season with a team still thinking long-term.

In the story, Feigen cited Whitmore and Thompson as developmental priorities alongside the other core draft prospects from Houston’s rebuilding years: third-year players Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, and second-year forwards Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason.

Elsewhere, Feigen mentions Utah’s Kelly Olynyk, Washington’s Daniel Gafford, and Charlotte’s Nick Richards as options for this season’s backup center role. However, he writes Stone and the Rockets would have to weigh whether any would play ahead of Jeff Green.

If not, it might not make sense to make a bid of significance, given that it’s a short-term hole (due to the presence of Adams next season).

Similarly, on the perimeter, many moderate upgrades may not be worth decreasing minutes for Thompson and/or Whitmore, particularly with Eason expected to return in the coming week.

Granted, a more substantial upgrade (such as an All-Star-caliber player) would change the calculus. But Feigen reports that such a player appears increasingly unlikely to be dealt this week.

In comments from earlier this week, head coach Ime Udoka mentioned 3-point shooting and versatility among big men as needs for the Rockets entering the Feb. 8 trade deadline window. But with minutes far from a guarantee — and especially in the long-term — it sounds as if Stone will be patient and wait for options at a lower price point, in terms of the asset value given up in any deal.

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Rookies Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore set career highs as Rockets blast Raptors

Rockets rookies Amen Thompson (19 points, 7 rebounds) and Cam Whitmore (25 points, 6 rebounds) each set career-highs Friday as Houston routed Toronto.

HOUSTON — In Friday’s finale of a three-game homestand at Toyota Center, rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore each set career highs in scoring as Houston routed Toronto, 135-106 (box score).

The Rockets (23-25) finished the homestand at 2-1, while the Raptors (17-31) lost for the 10th time in 12 games.

In a dominant win by the Rockets with a season-high 84 points in the paint, double-figure scorers for the home team included:

  • Cam Whitmore: 25 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals in 21 minutes; 10-of-17 shooting (58.8%), 3-of-7 on 3-pointers (42.9%)
  • Amen Thompson: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals in 24 minutes; 9-of-11 shooting (81.8%)
  • Alperen Sengun: 24 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists in 29 minutes; 10-of-14 shooting (71.4%), 1-of-2 on 3-pointers (50.0%)
  • Jalen Green: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists in 27 minutes; 7-of-14 shooting (50.0%)
  • Jabari Smith Jr.: 11 points, 3 rebounds in 24 minutes; 4-of-9 shooting (44.4%), 2-of-5 on 3-pointers (40.0%)
  • Fred VanVleet: 10 points, 6 assists in 25 minutes; 4-of-7 shooting (57.1%), 2-of-4 on 3-pointers (50.0%)

Whitmore has now scored 17 or more points in five straight games despite averaging under 25 minutes per game over that stretch.

Scottie Barnes led Toronto with 28 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 10-of-17 overall (58.8%) and 7-of-8 on free throws (87.5%).

Here’s our look at Friday’s highlights and postgame interviews, along with reaction by media members and fans. With the homestand in the books, next up for Houston is a tough game Sunday at Minnesota (34-14) to open up a four-game road trip. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. Central.

Takeaways: Jalen Green continues 30-point scoring binge as Pelicans clip Rockets

Jonas Valanciunas and the Pelicans bullied Houston on the glass, but Jalen Green (31 points) continued his torrid stretch in a competitive loss by the Rockets.

HOUSTON — In the midpoint of a three-game homestand at Toyota Center, the Rockets couldn’t survive an unusually poor night by big man Alperen Sengun in Wednesday night’s 110-99 loss (box score) to the Pelicans. With the win, New Orleans (27-21) defeated Houston (22-25) for the first time in three tries this season.

Sengun, an All-Star candidate, had 10 points and 10 rebounds but shot just 4-of-11 from the field (36.4%). Making matters worse, his opponent — bruising big man Jonas Valanciunas of the Pelicans — was dominant with 25 points (66.7% FG) and 14 rebounds.

Still, the Rockets kept it competitive and came within a possession midway through the second half thanks to another spectacular game from a resurgent Jalen Green. The third-year guard finished with 31 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, shooting 11-of-20 from the field (55.0%) and 5-of-12 on 3-pointers (41.7%).

In his last five outings, Green is averaging a team-high 29.8 points per game while shooting 51.5% overall and 35.5% on 3-pointers.

Rookie guard Cam Whitmore added 17 points and 2 steals in 20 minutes off the bench, shooting 6-of-12 overall (50.0%) and 3-of-7 on 3-pointers (42.9%). But that wasn’t nearly enough when Valanciunas and the Pelicans bullied Sengun and the Rockets on the glass, with a commanding 56-29 rebounding margin proving decisive.

Making matters worse, Rockets outside of Green and Whitmore only connected on 5-of-25 from 3-point range (20.0%). Jabari Smith Jr., making just his second start since returning from an ankle injury, didn’t score and missed all four of his 3-pointers. He had just 1 rebound in 22 minutes and was a team-worst -19 over that time.

Brandon Ingram added 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Pelicans, who were without Zion Williamson and Herbert Jones on Wednesday due to injuries. Tari Eason again sat out for the Rockets.

Here’s our look at Wednesday’s highlights and postgame interviews, along with reaction by media members and fans. As the homestand concludes, next up for the Rockets is Friday’s matchup versus the Toronto Raptors (17-30). Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Central.

Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Hornets’ Brandon Miller rises up past Chet Holmgren

Rookie Wire took a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2023-24 season.

Over half of the NBA season is in the books as teams and players around the league look ahead to the trade deadline and All-Star break in the next two weeks.

The trade chatter figures to ramp up considerably before the deadline on Feb. 8, with several teams expected to be active. The impending rumors and other speculation should once again create plenty of storylines to watch over the next several days.

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The league announced the All-Star starters for each conference last week and will unveil the reserve players on Thursday. Though there likely won’t be a rookie announced as an All-Star, the class will be well-represented during the NBA Rising Stars game on Feb. 16.

To make sense of it all, we looked at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but to illustrate the best players week to week.

Jabari Smith Jr. to rep Rockets at NBA Rising Stars; Cam Whitmore, Amen Thompson left out

Jabari Smith Jr. is among the sophomores chosen for the NBA’s Rising Stars event at All-Star Weekend, but rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore were left out.

On Tuesday, the NBA announced the 28 players who have earned spots to compete in the 2024 Panini Rising Stars challenge. The event will take place on Friday, Feb. 16, at Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse as an official part of the league’s 2024 All-Star Weekend.

The annual showcase of young talent, featuring a mini-tournament with four teams and three games, airs live at 8 p.m. Central on TNT.

In selecting players for the Rising Stars event, each NBA team submitted one ballot per coaching staff.  Each coaching staff selected four frontcourt players, four guards, and two additional players at either position, in order of preference, for rookies and sophomores. Coaches were not permitted to vote for any player on their team.

The NBA participants were determined by the total points each player received from the ballots. Points were awarded based on where a player was ranked on each ballot. The player pool includes one more rookie than sophomore based on total points received.

For the Houston Rockets, Jabari Smith Jr. is the lone representative. Fellow second-year forward Tari Eason likely would have joined Smith, but he’s been out due to a leg injury for the past month and has missed approximately half of Houston’s 2023-24 season to date.

A 6-foot-11, 220-pound forward, Smith is averaging 13.8 points (47.8% FG, 38.3% on 3-pointers) and 8.7 rebounds per game this season. He’s also one of Houston’s most valuable defensive players. Smith and Eason were both on the rookie Rising Stars roster last season, while Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun were in the sophomore group.

As for 2023-24, rookies Cam Whitmore and Amen Thompson have played very well in recent games, but neither was among the 11 rookies selected. Thompson missed most of Houston’s first six weeks of the season with an ankle injury, while Whitmore didn’t consistently join Houston’s rotation until approximately mid-January.

Thus, their surge may have come a bit too late for it to be properly accounted for in voting conducted by opposing coaches.

Unlike the previous two seasons, the 2023-24 Rockets (22-24) are much more competitive, which has also made it more difficult for rookies to earn consistent playing time to put up gaudy statistics.

Read on for the full rosters, teams, and more details on the format, as well as key numbers on Smith’s sophomore season in Houston.

‘Bright, young superstar’: Rookie Cam Whitmore powers Houston’s bench

Cam Whitmore on Houston’s bench: “Me and Amen [Thompson] both play fast, and we are very athletic. Once me and him get downhill, it is almost unstoppable.”

HOUSTON — Most avid coffee drinkers tell you the Keurig machine, a single-cup beverage system invented by John Sylvan and Peter Dragone in the early 1990s, is a wonderful appliance to have in their home.

Gone are the days of having to wait for your coffee to take a while to brew. The Keurig will make you a hot cup of Joe within seconds, simply by loading the cup and pressing start.

I don’t know if Rockets head coach Ime Udoka drinks coffee, but having his own form of a human Keurig, rookie forward Cam Whitmore, helps him in many games. The 20th selection in the 2023 NBA draft out of Villanova has provided instant offense off the bench since returning from the G League, where he spent time developing his game while the Rockets figured out their wing logjam.

Whitmore, 19, is averaging 21 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in his last three games, including a career-high 24 points and 12 rebounds in Friday’s 138-104 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. He has scored 252 points in 377 minutes of play this season while shooting 48% from the field and 39% from 3-point range.

What is more impressive is that his scoring outbursts don’t take long to happen, as the Los Angeles Lakers witnessed Monday at Toyota Center. Whitmore scored 12 points in just under four game minutes to begin his night, and he finished with 20 points and 6 rebounds in Houston’s 135-119 blowout win over the Lakers.

“I am not going to lie to you; it was kind of different tonight,” Whitmore told Rockets Wire about his scorching first quarter. “We had Bron (LeBron James), so I had to come out more aggressive.”

Coach Udoka has taken notice of Whitmore’s ability to score efficiently during his rookie campaign.

“That’s who he’s been his whole career so far,” Udoka said postgame. “His energy has been great. With that second unit playing fast like that, they really get stops and get out and play with that pace.”

Pairing Whitmore with fellow rookie Amen Thompson gives the Rockets bench a more up-tempo style. That differs from the Fred VanVleet- and Alperen Sengun-led starting unit, which often functions better in a half-court setting. It is something both rookies have noticed when they are on the court together.

“Me and Amen both play fast, and we are very athletic. Once we get downhill, it is almost unstoppable,” Whitmore told Rockets Wire.

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham only received a small glimpse of Whitmore during their early December matchup when he was inserted into the game during mop-up duty. Even then, his 5 points and 3 rebounds in 3 minutes seemed to impress him.

During Monday’s pregame press conference, Ham thought about what could have been had the Lakers drafted Whitmore, who they had at their facility during pre-draft workouts. They instead used their pick to select Indiana’s Jalen Hood-Schifino three spots ahead of Houston, which drafted Whitmore at No. 20 in the 2023 first round.

“He is another bright, young superstar that is going to be in our league for a long time,” Ham said. “That kid is going to be special. His biggest issue is going to be health, making sure he is taking care of his body and taking care of himself. But the skill is there. The ability to shoot the ball is there, and he has some good coaching around him where he is going to be able to grow and develop.”

Whitmore may never go by “The Keurig” as a nickname. Still, the metaphor describes him perfectly, just as “The Microwave” did for Vinnie Johnson, a former Pistons player and two-time champion. Like Whitmore, Johnson was instant offense off Detroit’s bench.

Whitmore and the Rockets (22-24) look to keep their momentum rolling when they host the New Orleans Pelicans (26-21) on Wednesday night at Toyota Center. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. Central.

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The Lakers made a big mistake by not drafting Cam Whitmore

The Lakers committed a big draft blunder last June by passing up on Rockets wing Cam Whitmore, who is looking very promising right now.

The Los Angeles Lakers were trounced on Monday by the Houston Rockets, 135-119, and just like that, their spurt of five wins in their previous seven games is effectively over.

They had an alarming lack of energy and effort. They were outrebounded by a wide margin and were outscored by 24 in fast-break points. Yet again, they came out lackadaisical against a team that was seemingly inferior to them, at least on paper, and got embarrassed.

While Alperen Sengun and Jalem Green scored 31 and 34 points, respectively, for Houston, one player who stood out was rookie Cam Whitmore. In the last 2:19 of the first quarter, he went on a personal 12-2 run and turned a one-point Houston lead into a 42-31 advantage. Houston never came close to trailing again.

For the game, Whitmore had 20 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes. This season, he’s averaging 11 points on 48.2% overall shooting and 39.3% from 3-point range in 16.4 minutes per game.

In last June’s draft, the Lakers took guard Jalen Hood-Schifino with the No. 17 pick. One pick later, the Miami Heat selected 6-foot-6, 225-pound forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., who is having a very strong rookie year. The Rockets then took Whitmore at No. 20.

After the Lakers gained a close look at Whitmore on Monday, it is clear they made a big mistake by not drafting him.

While people were concerned about Whitmore’s medical history on draft day, it has turned into a non-issue, and as the season has worn on, he has seemingly gotten better.

Rockets blast Lakers as surge continues for Jalen Green, Cam Whitmore

In a potentially critical win for the play-in race, Jalen Green (34 points, 12 rebounds) and Cam Whitmore (20 points in 18 minutes) kept it rolling versus the Lakers.

HOUSTON — In the opener of a three-game homestand at Toyota Center, the Rockets won a potentially critical game in the Western Conference standings race with Monday’s 135-119 victory (box score) over the LeBron James- and Anthony Davis-led Los Angeles Lakers.

With the win, Houston (22-24) is tied in the loss column with the Lakers and Jazz, who are both 24-24. Los Angeles and Utah are ninth and 10th in the West standings, which will eventually represent the final spots in the conference’s play-in tournament for the 2023-24 NBA playoffs.

The Rockets are well positioned for a potential tiebreaker against either team. Houston split its four-game season series with the Lakers, but holds a five-game lead in the loss column by conference record, which would be the next criteria. The Rockets have won their only game versus Utah to date.

As for Monday’s game, the Rockets led by double digits from the end of the first quarter onward. The individual standouts included third-year prospect Jalen Green and rookie Cam Whitmore. Both talented guards have played extremely well in recent games, and neither showed any signs of slowing down versus the Lakers.

Led by Green and Alperen Sengun, the impressive totals included:

  • Green: 34 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists; 12-of-23 shooting (52.2%), 4-of-10 on 3-pointers (40%), 6-of-6 on free throws
  • Sengun: 31 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals; 14-of-23 shooting (60.9%)
  • Whitmore: 20 points, 6 rebounds in 18 minutes; 7-of-12 shooting (58.3%), 2-of-6 on 3-pointers (33.3%), 4-of-6 on free throws (66.7%)
  • Jabari Smith Jr.: 18 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals in 36 minutes; 8-of-13 shooting, 2-of-5 on 3-pointers (40%)
  • Dillon Brooks: 17 points, 3 rebounds in 28 minutes; 7-of-12 shooting (58.3%), 2-of-4 on 3-pointers
  • Fred VanVleet: 3 points, 14 assists, 2 steals in 37 minutes; 0-of-4 on 3-pointers

Whitmore has scored at least 19 points in three consecutive games, while Green has scored 29 or more in four straight.

Davis had 23 points and 7 rebounds in 29 minutes for the Lakers, shooting 10-of-20 from the field (50%) while making all three of his 3-pointers. James added 23 points and 10 assists in 37 minutes, shooting 9-of-15 overall (60%) and 2-of-5 on 3-pointers (40%).

Smith was returning from a four-game absence due to a sprained left ankle and looked quite fresh over his 31 minutes.

Here’s our look at Monday’s highlights and postgame interviews, along with reaction by media members and fans. As the homestand continues, next up for the Rockets is Wednesday’s matchup versus the New Orleans Pelicans (26-20). Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Central.

Rockets’ Cam Whitmore declined invitation to participate in Slam Dunk Contest

Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore has declined an invitation to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend.

Houston Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore said Monday he declined an invitation to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Whitmore has emerged as an exciting player on the court this season, given his elite athleticism and ability to throw down emphatic dunks. He has had several highlight-reel jams, whether during his time in the G League or with the Rockets.

The 20th pick was likely viewed as a good option to participate in the contest, but he will pass on it for now, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

I got asked twice for the dunk contest, and I said ‘no.’ I’m waiting until the time comes. I don’t see myself as a dunker. I don’t have anything up my sleeve right now. But in Year 2, Year 3, when I establish myself as somebody in this league, yeah, I’ll do it.

The NBA typically asks rookies and other young players to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest. Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. has expressed interest in participating, while Mac McClung of the Osceola Magic is expected to defend his title this year.

Whitmore is averaging 10.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 22 games on 39.8% shooting from 3-point range. He ranks eighth in scoring among rookies and has produced two games with at least 20 points, including a season-high 24 points and 11 rebounds on Friday.

After declining to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest, Whitmore could still attend the All-Star Weekend festivities as a participant in the Rising Stars game. He has come on strong of late and is emerging as a key player for the team.

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