NBA Draft: Former NBA Scout Evaluates Cam Whitmore

An evaluation of Villanova forward Cam Whitmore from the viewpoint of a former NBA scout.

After evaluating 2023 NBA Draft prospect Cam Whitmore of Villanova, Doc Martin shared his evaluation and scouting report with Draft Digest Pro.

School: Villanova | Position: Forward | Class: Freshman

Height: 6-7 | Weight: 232

Role: Brute, High Flyer, Switchable Defender

Comparison: Justin Anderson/Jae Crowder

Draft Projection: Lottery Pick

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Strengths:

• Athleticism
• Physical strength
• Scoring ability

Concerns:

• Over-eagerness to score
• Decision-making with the ball

Questions:

• With a slow shooting release, can he create enough space for his jump shot against NBA defenders with length?
• Will he buy into doing more on the floor than just scoring?

Bottom Line:

Cam Whitmore is an explosive athlete that will be exciting to watch in the open floor. He can pressure defenses to get back in transition because he has his eyes on the rim and is determined to finish at the rim and with force if necessary. 

Whitmore quickly explodes off the floor with one or two feet. He has a solid handle in the half-court to go either direction but primarily prefers to attack going left. His physical frame allows him to get downhill and bully most wings to the basket. The Villanova prospect has moments where he can be a ball-stopper and then attempt to attack against a loaded defense. The defensive spacing will be much better at the next level, which may be manageable for him. 

He struggled with shooting early this past season, which could be attributed to his thumb surgery. In catch-and-shoot scenarios, Whitmore shot an impressive 46% from three-point range. I prefer a larger sample size for a mid-range game. However, I'm confident that will be a point of emphasis with his player development coach to make him more of a complete NBA wing. Despite being ranked 21st in the nation in minutes played per game, at 27.3, by freshmen small forwards, Whitmore ranks 8th in shot attempts, at 9.8 per game, so he's not shy about looking for offensive opportunities. However, because of his aggressiveness, he tends to get tunnel vision and struggles to create for others. The potential lottery pick ranks 50th among freshmen small forwards in assists per game at just 0.7.

I don't believe that Cam Whitmore is a selfish player. Still, he hasn't fully learned how to play with other talented individuals. As a rookie coming into the league, it's an area of his game that Whitmore will need to improve upon quickly; otherwise, he could rub veteran teammates the wrong way. Defensively, he has all of the physical tools that suggest he should become a solid defender. He will need to play with the same level of intensity, pay close attention to details, and be more disciplined with his closeouts. To earn solid rotational minutes, Whitmore will likely need to prove he has the defensive basketball IQ to defend the misdirections and off-ball screening actions. The margin for error for rookies in the NBA can be minimal; if he's willing to show that he can be a multiple-effort type of guy, Cam Whitmore has the make-up of a legitimate NBA rotational forward and could blossom into a very effective pro.