AP – Cam Whitmore, the Houston Rockets’ other first-round draft pick, refuses to be overshadowed.
Much of the buzz surrounding the Rockets the past few weeks focused on the addition of number four overall pick Amen Thompson. However, it’s been Whitmore – who fell to the 20th spot in the NBA draft – turning heads in the Summer League after Thompson went down with an ankle injury.
Whitmore had 26 points on 11-of-21 shooting in Friday’s win over Golden State, including three three-pointers and a handful of emphatic dunks. He also had a Summer League record-tying eight steals as the Rockets (4-0) secured one of the four playoff spots.
The Summer League semifinals are tomorrow with the championship game on Tuesday in Las Vegas.At one point, the six-foot-seven Whitmore was considered one of the best two-way players in this year’s draft and a potential top-five pick after earning Big East Rookie of the Year honours as a freshman at Villanova. He averaged 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals on 47.8 per cent shooting from the field.
There was speculation that medical concerns may have led to Whitmore’s slide in the draft, although nothing was made public.
Regardless, Whitmore seems out to prove not only is he healthy but he deserved to be a lottery pick. He’s averaging 19.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in four games. His 3.5 steals per game are tied for the most in the Summer League.
He’s looking like a huge steal for the Rockets.
