Rockets' Cam Whitmore Sparking 'Hate' from Rival Fans?

Cam Whitmore could have teams regretting their draft decisions after his Las Vegas Summer League run with the Houston Rockets.

Houston Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore is nearly a month removed from his infamous NBA Draft slide.

A projected top-10 pick, Whitmore ended by falling all the down to No. 20 before hearing his name called. As a one-and-done star at Villanova, Whitmore posted 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals for the Wildcats before declaring for the NBA Draft in April.

NBA Draft analyst Rafael Barlowe spoke about the Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz, who each had two opportunities to select Whitmore, and why they could regret it.

“I do think a [Howard] a Taylor Hendricks those guys are going to have the most pressure because their fanbases are going to hate them because they’re going to say hey we took you over Cam Whitmore most fans wanted Cam in that lottery pick,” Barlowe said.

Heading into the NBA Draft with picks at No. 6 and No. 11, Whitmore was a projected option for Orlando with one of those two. However, the front office instead opted to add shooting and playmaking to its backcourt by drafting Arkansas guard Anthony Black and Howard.

The Jazz had the Nos. 9 & 16 picks, and passed on Whitmore twice, selecting UCF forward Taylor Hendricks and Baylor guard Keyonte George.

Whitmore looked like a steal in Summer League, going on to win MVP honors after averaging 20.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and three steals.

When the season begins, Whitmore will have even more opportunities to make the teams who passed on him regret their decisions.

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You can follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard.

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