Houston recalled Whitmore from the G League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Monday, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Whitmore hasn't been seeing regular playing time with the Rockets, so he's been sent to the G League on multiple occasions to get extended work in. He continues to impress with Rio Grande Valley but isn't expected to carve out an NBA role, barring injuries.
Whitmore moved to the bench for Friday's preseason game against Miami.
Houston went with their projected Opening Night lineup for Friday's final exhibition. Whitmore offers a lot of long-term intrigue in fantasy basketball, but his role out of the gates is unclear.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Struggles from field again
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Whitmore finished with 17 points (4-15 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 8-11 FT), six rebounds, two assists, six steals and a block across 30 minutes in Wednesday's 117-103 preseason loss to the Spurs.
Whitmore has shown encouraging traits in both the Summer League and the preseason, but all signs point to him opening the 2023-24 season on a bench role, and he will have to work hard -- and improve his shooting -- to compete for a starting nod. Whitmore has scored at least 15 points in three of his four preseason appearances.
Whitmore will start Wednesday's preseason game against the Spurs, Jackson Gatlin of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.
With Jalen Green (toe), Fred VanVleet (rest) and Dillon Brooks (rest) unavailable, Whitmore and fellow rookie Amen Thompson will start Houston's penultimate preseason contest. Whitmore has impressed thus far and will presumably get extended run versus San Antonio, but he'll likely return to a bench role for Friday's preseason finale versus Miami, which is expected to be a dress rehearsal for the regular season.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Struggles from deep Monday
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Whitmore ended with 15 points (5-15 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 4-4 FT), four rebounds and an assist across 24 minutes off the bench in Monday's 99-89 preseason win over the Spurs.
Whitmore was named the 2023 Summer League MVP despite being selected with the 20th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and he continues to prove his doubters wrong with solid numbers in the preseason. However, as good as he's been, Whitmore is expected to open the season on the bench, though a growth in his role once the season progresses can't be ruled out.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Efficient in victory
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Whitmore tallied 15 points (6-10 FG, 3-4 3Pt), four rebounds and one steal in 17 minutes during Tuesday's 122-103 preseason win over the Pacers.
Whitmore was impressive during Summer League play in July, and he carried his momentum into the preseason during Tuesday's opener despite coming off the bench. It could be difficult for Whitmore to carve out significant minutes early in the regular season since the Rockets have plenty of depth at the wing, but he's made a strong case over the past few months.
Whitmore posted 25 points (9-17 FG, 4-11 3Pt, 3-3 FT), four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal across 32 minutes during Sunday's 115-101 win over the Jazz.
Whitmore continues his impressive play in Summer League, producing solid numbers on both ends of the floor. Despite his impressive play thus far, the Rockets' depth at the wing could make it challenging for the Vilanova product to see extended minutes to start the season.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Records eight steals
Rotowire
Whitmore put up 26 points (11-21 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 1-1 FT), five rebounds, one assist, eight steals and one block in 31 minutes during Thursday's 118-101 Summer League win over the Warriors.
With eight steals, Whitmore tied the Summer League record. He was all over the place on both ends of the court, and that's been the case for the entirety of the Summer League. Through four games, Whitmore is averaging 19.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 3.5 steals and 2.0 three-pointers per game.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Struggles from deep
Rotowire
Whitmore recorded 16 points (6-14 FG, 1-8 3Pt, 3-6 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in 34 minutes during Tuesday's 105-92 Summer League win over the Thunder.
Whitmore has showcased an impressive ability to play above the rim so far in Summer League but has been inconsistent with his outside shot. Along with his seven turnovers, Whitmore's offensive game may be too raw for him to receive extended minutes early on.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Scores 21 in win
Rotowire
Whitmore tallied 21 points (9-16 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 0-1 FT), two assists, one rebound and a steal over 29 minutes during Sunday's 113-101 Summer League win over the Pistons.
Whitmore started the game with two emphatic dunks to set the tone for the Rockets and continued his solid play throughout the game despite being overshadowed by teammates Jabari Smith and Tari Eason. The 20th overall pick displayed his shooting ability but was really impressive getting to the basket and finishing above the rim. Whitmore will likely be in competition with Eason for playing time off the bench to begin the season.
