Cam Whitmore

Whitmore arrived at Villanova as a consensus five-star recruit and was named the Big East Freshman of the Year in 2022-23. He appeared in 26 games, making 20 starts and posting 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 threes per game. A strong, athletic wing who attacks the rim with ferocity, Whitmore projects as a true wing/small forward in the NBA. He's well-developed, physically, for his age and has a 6-foot-8 wingspan, which should enable him to be a solid defender and rebounder at the next level. While Whitmore averaged less than 1.0 assists per game at Villanova, he's a willing passer who was asked to function more as a score-first player in college. Whitmore will have to prove he can consistently shoot the three from NBA range, but it's encouraging that he knocked down better than 34 percent of his attempts (4.2 3PA/G) in college. Whitmore was expected to be drafted early in the first round but slipped to the Rockets at No. 20 due to medical red flags. He shed immediate concerns by winning Summer League MVP, averaging 17.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists in 31.0 minutes across six appearances. However, his path to minutes as a rookie is cloudy. The Rockets made win-now moves during the offseason, filling out the roster with veterans like Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. That leaves Whitmore fighting for reserve run with Amen Thompson, Kevin Porter, Jae'Sean Tate, Tari Eason and Jeff Green. Fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if Whitmore isn't an every-night part of the rotation. He may be sent to the G League for stretches as a way to make sure he gets minutes and develops.