Cam Whitmore Re-Finding Groove for Houston Rockets

Second-year forward Cam Whitmore has been re-finding his mojo in recent weeks for Houston.

Jan 3, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Cam Whitmore (7) rebounds against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

It hasn’t been all sunshine for Cam Whitmore in his second year with the Rockets. But it’s started to shine through more and more in recent weeks.

After an under-averaged start to his sophomore season, the Rockets assigned Whitmore to the team’s G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. There, he was able to hone his skills and regain his confidence with the keys to the offense and plenty more on-ball reps than he was getting with the Rockets.

Now that he’s back with Houston, he’s making the most of his time.

In a 23-point beatdown of the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night, Whitmore was paramount off the bench. He scored a bench-high 17 points on hyper-efficient 6-for-8 shooting, hitting all three of his triple attempts in addition to one rebound and steal.

In his last 10 NBA games, Whitmore has now scored 12.4 points on 48% shooting, including 41% shooting on over four triples per game. The scoring and minutes in that stretch look nearly identical to his rookie year numbers, with a large boon to his ranged shooting.

Regardless, the timing is great for Houston, who’s been without high-impact forwards in Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason due to injury. 

None of this necessarily means Whitmore is long for Houston. The team will have ample chances to upgrade on the trade market, and a bigger role elsewhere could entice both the player and potential trade partners. But for now, it's a step in the right direction for both parties.

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