Houston Rockets' Cam Whitmore Scores 42 Points in G League Victory
HOUSTON — Houston Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore put on a show Saturday night during the Rio Grande Valley Vipers' 132-99 victory over the Birmingham Squadron.
Whitmore led the team in scoring with a career-best 42 points shooting 15 of 23 from the field, 5 of 11 on 3-point field goal attempts inside the Legacy Arena at the BJCC. He also added seven rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals in the win.
The Rockets assigned Whitmore to the G League on Nov. 7. According to coach Ime Udoka, the decision was to give Whitmore more playing time, given that the Rockets did not have a role for the rookie forward at the start of the 2023-24 season.
He is currently averaging a team-best 24.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. The Vipers have begun the G League season with a 7-5 record following Whitmore's career performance.
Whitmore was a projected top-10 pick who did not understand how he slipped outside the lottery. No team disputed his talents. But Whitmore's injury history became the reason behind his diminished stock. The Rockets drafted Whitmore with the No. 20 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.
He was unfazed by the number of teams that passed on his services and described the draft as "the best day" of his life on June 22. But the 19-year-old prospect vowed to use the draft night snub as motivation.
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Although he has not played a meaningful game for the Rockets, Whitmore has already established himself as the steal of the draft.
In addition to Whitmore's performance, Jermaine Samuels Jr. recorded a double-double of 29 points and 13 rebounds, while Nate Hinton contributed to the win with 11 assists.