Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Finishes rookie season strong
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Whitmore finished Sunday's 116-105 victory over the Clippers with 21 points (9-17 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 1-3 FT), six rebounds, five assists and one block across 36 minutes.
This was a strong finish to Whitmore's rookie season, and he seems poised to take on a larger role in 2024-25. In 47 appearances, Whitmore compiled averages of 12.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 three-pointers on 45.4 percent shooting from the field.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Running with starters Sunday
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Whitmore is in the starting lineup for Sunday's regular-season finale versus the Clippers, Jackson Gatlin of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.
Whitmore's explosive rookie year will end with his second start of the season, and he'll look to build off the five points and four rebounds he posted in 27 minutes in his prior start on Jan. 21. Whitmore is flanked by Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith on the wings.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Scores 18 off bench Thursday
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Whitmore recorded 18 points (5-11 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 4-4 FT), four rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 27 minutes during Thursday's 124-121 loss to the Jazz.
Whitmore has seen regular minutes off the bench in recent weeks and has scored in double digits in all but one of his last seven contests, with the lone exception being the April 9 matchup against the Magic where he got tossed. He's been making the most of his minutes and should handle a decent workload in the final two games of the season, as the Rockets have already been eliminated from the playoffs.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Tossed from game
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Whitmore was assessed two technical fouls and ejected from Tuesday's game versus the Magic, Dan Savage of the Magic's official site reports. He will end the contest with two points (1-4 FG, 0-3 3Pt) in six minutes.
Whitmore was ejected with 1:46 remaining in the third quarter after getting into altercations with Joe Ingles and Moritz Wagner. Reggie Bullock and Jeff Green are candidates to receive increased playing time in the rookie forward's absence.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Scores 17 points off bench
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Whitmore racked up 17 points (6-14 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 4-5 FT), four rebounds and one block over 23 minutes during Thursday's 133-110 loss to the Warriors.
Whitmore didn't miss a step despite being absent for nine straight games due to an ankle injury. When including his outings before his absence, he's now scored in double digits in six consecutive games -- and in all but three of his 13 appearances since the All-Star break. Whitmore is not expected to crack the starting lineup in the near future, but he remains a valuable scoring alternative off the bench. He's definitely worth considering as a streaming option.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Returns from nine-game absence
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Whitmore totaled 13 points (5-12 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 1-4 FT), five rebounds, one assist and three steals across 22 minutes during Sunday's 125-107 loss to the Mavericks.
Whitmore returned from a nine-game absence Sunday and wasn't supposed to play more than 20 minutes as a precaution. Whitmore looked sharp, however, and he may take on a large role to close out the season.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Upgraded to probable
Rotowire
Whitmore (knee) has been upgraded to probable ahead of Sunday's contest against the Mavericks.
Whitmore has been nearing a return for quite some time, and the probable tag suggests the former Villanova standout could see minutes off the bench for the first time since March 10. Before his absence, the rookie had played 20-plus minutes in seven of his last 10 appearances, averaging 12.6 points and 4.5 rebounds during that stretch.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Nearing return
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Coach Ime Udoka said Whitmore (knee), who remains out Wednesday against the Thunder, is right on track with his three-week rehab timeline and is getting closer to a return, Kelly Iko of The Athletic reports.
The red-hot Rockets have won nine straight and are vying for a spot in the Play-In Tournament, so Whitmore's potential return is noteworthy, though it's unclear if Alperen Sengun (ankle/knee) would be back if Houston makes a postseason run. Whitmore hasn't played since March 10 and is due back in early April, barring a setback. Before his absence, the rookie had played 20-plus minutes in seven of his last 10 appearances, averaging 12.6 points and 4.5 rebounds during that stretch.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Out with knee sprain
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Whitmore has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Spurs due to a right knee sprain.
The severity of the injury remains unclear, but the rookie had been sharp since the All-Star break, as he averaged 12.6 points and 4.5 rebounds in 20.3 minutes over his last 10 appearances. With Whitmore sidelined, the Rockets could feed more minutes to rookie Amen Thompson and reopen a spot in the rotation for Jae'Sean Tate.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Big night from second unit
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Whitmore recorded 19 points (9-16 FG, 1-4 3Pt), eight rebounds, one assist and one steal in 20 minutes off the bench during Tuesday's 114-101 win over the Spurs.
The 19-year-old continues to look like a steal as the 20th overall pick in the 2023 Draft. Whitmore has scored in double digits in five of seven games since the All-Star break, averaging 12.3 points, 4.4 boards and 1.0 threes in 19.3 minutes a contest, although his offensive game remains a work in progress -- he's shooting just 21.2 percent (7-for-33) from three-point range during that time.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Out Monday, may play Wednesday
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Whitmore (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Knicks, but head coach Ime Udoka said the rookie could return for Wednesday's game against Memphis, Adam Spolane of Sports Radio 610 Houston reports.
Whitmore will miss his second consecutive game Monday due to a right ankle sprain, but the 19-year-old appears to be facing a short-term absence. Even if he doesn't show enough improvement in practice Tuesday to put himself on a path to play Wednesday, he should be ready to go coming out of the All-Star break. Whitmore has proven to be a strong per-minute scoring threat with averages of 17.4 points in 20.0 minutes per game over his last nine outings, but he's not providing much in other categories aside from rebounds (4.7 per game in that stretch) and three-pointers (2.7). Moreover, he may not have an avenue to see his minutes increase dramatically while starting forwards Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith are both healthy.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Out again Monday
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Whitmore (ankle) is out for Monday's game against the Knicks.
Whitmore will miss a second consecutive game due to a right ankle sprain. Amen Thompson, Jae'Sean Tate and Dillon Brooks could see increased minutes in Whitmore's absence.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Done for night with ankle sprain
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Whitmore won't return to Friday's game against Toronto due to a right ankle sprain, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca reports. He finished with 17 points (5-9 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three rebounds and one assist in 18 minutes.
Despite coming off the bench Friday, Whitmore was leading the Rockets in scoring on the night before the ankle sprain ended his game early. Houston will finish up its back-to-back set Saturday with a matchup against the Hawks, and Whitmore's injury makes it unlikely he'll be available for that contest. Whitmore's potential absence Saturday could open up a spot in the rotation for Reggie Bullock, or perhaps result in players such as Aaron Holiday, Jeff Green and Jae'Sean Tate having higher minutes ceilings off the bench.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: First career double-double Friday
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Whitmore totaled 24 points (9-18 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds and two assists over 20 minutes during Friday's 138-104 win over Charlotte.
Whitmore had a productive performance off the bench Friday. Not only did he register the first double-double of his young career, his points and rebounding output were both career highs for the rookie out of Villanova. Whitmore has established a rotational bench role for himself since the beginning of the new year and is averaging 11.9 points and 4.4 rebounds over 19.0 minutes per game in January.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Moves back to bench
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Whitmore isn't in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Trail Blazers, Jackson Gatlin of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.
Jeff Green will replace Whitmore in the starting lineup Wednesday. Whitmore is averaging 11.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 19.7 minutes across his last five appearances coming off the bench.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Hot from deep
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Whitmore contributed 17 points (6-13 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 1-3 FT), five rebounds, one assist and two blocks over 27 minutes during Saturday's 127-126 overtime win over the Jazz.
Whitmore boomed from beyond the arc Saturday, which is an encouraging sign after posting 33.3 percent shooting on 3.8 threes per game while looking pensive as a shooter across eight prior contests. His 11.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in 19.1 minutes per game over that span represent quality production from the rookie overall. With Tari Eason (leg) amid a multi-week absence, Whitmore should continue to see a relevant role.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Strong outing off bench in defeat
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Whitmore finished with 14 points (6-12 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 0-1 FT), six rebounds, one assist and one steal over 23 minutes in Monday's 124-115 loss to Philadelphia.
Whitmore led all bench players in Monday's contest in rebounds while finishing with a bench-high-tying scoring total in a balanced showing on the Rockets' second unit. Whitmore has tallied at least 14 points in four games this season, including in three of his last four outings. He has now hauled in six or more boards in two straight contests and in three games this year.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Rejoins parent club
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The Rockets recalled Whitmore from the G League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Friday, Lachard Binkley of TheDreamShake.com reports.
Whitmore was productive for Rio Grande Valley in recent matchups and was one of three players to be recalled by the parent club Friday. Despite his recent G League results, he's unlikely to see much playing time for the Rockets.
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Rockets' Cam Whitmore: Moves to bench
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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.
