Inside The Rockets

Rockets' Cam Whitmore Must Grow This Season

The Houston Rockets have a gem in Cam Whitmore.

Jeremy Brener

Mar 31, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Derrick Jones Jr. (55) attempts to steal the ball from Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore (7) during the first half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Mar 31, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Derrick Jones Jr. (55) attempts to steal the ball from Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore (7) during the first half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets have an exciting piece in second-year pro Cam Whitmore.

Whitmore, the No. 20 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, started his season off slow, but began to emerge as an impactful player for the Rockets in the second half of the season.

Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes thinks that Whitmore is the Rockets' X-Factor for the upcoming season.

"Pick any random game of his after he jumped from the G League to the Houston Rockets' rotation, and you'll get the good with the bad. For every deft step-through in transition and easy-release three, there are defensive non-competes and telegraphed cross-court passes begging to be picked off. That sort of up-and-down performance should be the expectation for a rookie, but it felt particularly illustrative of Whitmore's possible futures," Hughes writes. "If he never rounds out the rest of his game, improves his shot selection and commits to defending, Whitmore could wind up with the disappointing "empty buckets" label. If he becomes a more complete player and continues to flash the scoring instincts of an alpha, he could quickly climb to the top of a long list of potential future stars on the Rockets' roster."

Whitmore has the desire to be great, and that means working on all aspects of his game. He can already score at a high level, but if he grows in other areas, he could become a true long-term option for the Rockets.

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Jeremy Brener

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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