Normally, rookies who are about to make their NBA debut don’t talk much, if any, trash to established veterans and stars.
But forward Cam Whitmore, the No. 20 pick in June’s draft, ignored that standard behavior.
When he was asked who he would like to dunk on for the first time and lock down on defense, he said he would like to posterize Giannis Antetokounmpo or LeBron James and shut down Kawhi Leonard on defense, per Playmaker via NBACentral.
Cam Whitmore says he wants to dunk on Giannis and LeBron and lock up Kawhi 👀
(Via @playmaker ) pic.twitter.com/UoTfqeJObQ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 13, 2023
Going into the draft, some thought Whitmore could go very high, possibly in the first five selections.
However, many teams passed on him due to something abnormal that showed up on his medical report that went undisclosed to the public.
The Houston Rockets decided to take a flyer on him, and he ended up shining brightly at NBA Summer League, averaging 19.3 points a game there and winning the Summer League MVP.
At 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, Whitmore is very athletic and strong, and he could possibly have star potential moving forward.
Houston has an interesting young roster with prospects such as Jalen Green, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft, Jabari Smith Jr., who was taken No. 3 in last year’s draft, and veteran free-agent acquisition Fred VanVleet.
The team went 22-60 last season, which was one of the worst records in the NBA, and a playoff or play-in tournament appearance this coming season is likely too much to ask for.
But if Whitmore lives up to his billing, the Rockets could be back in the postseason sometime in the near future.
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