2023 NBA Draft: Villanova's Cam Whitmore falls out of lottery to Rockets at No. 20
Cam Whitmore was projected by most to land among the top 10 picks of Thursday's NBA Draft. Instead he slid to No. 20, where the Houston Rockets found him much later than expected.
A 6-foot-8 guard with explosive athleticism, the Villanova freshman has the upside of a high-level scorer in the NBA. He could end up being a steal for the Rockets.
Whitmore slid amid reports of medical concerns and subpar workouts at the NBA Draft Combine. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported during the draft that "some poor workouts and not great interviews" were "part of the reason" he dropped out of the lottery.
Whitmore, 18, averaged 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting 47.8% from the field and 34.3% from 3-point distance as a freshman at Villanova. He was a unanimous selection to the Big East All-Freshman Team while earning Freshman of the Year honors.
"I'm excited," Whitmore told ESPN after the Rockets picked him. "Grateful to be here. I'm blessed. I've wanted to be in the NBA for I don't know how many years — since I was born. I'm blessed to be here."
Whitmore joins a Rockets team that features developing young players Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. They also added another athletic 6-7 wing Thursday in Amen Thompson with the No. 4 pick. Thompson's a strong playmaker and ball handler who could play more in the backcourt while allowing Whitmore, Green and Porter to play off the ball.
Wherever Whitmore fits in, his upside and value at No. 20 proved too enticing for the Rockets to pass up.
