Cam

Whitmore

Given how well Whitmore played in Houston’s first two games in Las Vegas, seeing him on the court Monday afternoon was surprising. Playing his third game in four days, the 2023 first-round pick struggled mightily with his shot, and frustration may have gotten the best of Whitmore. Fantasy managers should not read too much into this performance, and it would be unsurprising if the Rockets decided to shut him down for the rest of the week.

Whitmore won summer league MVP honors last year and has looked highly impressive in Houston’s first two games this week. He has played at the level teams want their returnees to reach in this setting, making it clear that there’s no need to play anymore. A second straight MVP may not be in the cards for Whitmore, as the Rockets could decide to shut him down. There’s little reason to believe that the franchise decision-makers have not seen enough.

Both wings will suit up for the Rockets this summer. Whitmore had a strong rookie season, but the extra reps will still help. Griffin barely suited up for Atlanta last season, so getting time on the court will be good for him as he adjusts to a new team. Alongside Reed Sheppard, they will have a talented squad in Vegas.

Due to the absence of multiple veterans, Whitmore made his second career start on Sunday. And he played well, shooting better than 50% from the field and leading the Rockets in scoring. Putting the ball in the basket has long been one of Whitmore’s strengths, but he was productive in other areas in the final three games of his rookie season. While he has been overshadowed by Amen Thompson, and Tari Eason (leg) will be available, Whitmore offers a decent deep-league upside heading into 2024-25. His most significant issue may be Houston’s rotation, as the team is deep on the wings.

Whitmore moves into the starting unit in place of Dllon Brooks, who is sidelined for the final game of the season. The Clippers are resting their rotation players, so Whitmore should be in for a big night in increased minutes.

Both of Houston’s veterans will sit out the season finale, since they have been eliminated from the postseason for a little while now. Cam Whitmore should slide into the starting unit in place of Brooks, while Jock Landale will remain in the starting unit in place of FVV, with Amen Thompson filling the point guard minutes.

After being ejected from Tuesday’s win over the Magic, Whitmore made up for lost time with a solid performance in Salt Lake City. A double-digit scorer in ten of his last 11 outings, the rookie wing’s 18 points were the most he’s tallied in a game since March 5 (19 vs. San Antonio). Fellow rookie Amen Thompson also had a good night, finishing with 15 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 35 minutes. While Thompson, when healthy, has been a fixture in the starting lineup since Alperen Sengun suffered a sprained ankle, Whitmore has continued to come off the bench. That’s unlikely to change unless Dillon Brooks were to pick up his 16th technical foul of the season on Friday.

Whitmore got into it with Joe Ingles twice, and the second engagement got the rookie tossed from the game. He finished the contest with just two points in nine minutes of action.

Thompson was injured during Thursday’s loss to the Warriors, with the ankle being the initial issue. However, fantasy managers in leagues that play through Week 24 should be more concerned about the finger injury. With Cam Whitmore recently returning, he’s the player who stands to benefit the most from Thompson’s absence.

After a nine-game absence, Whitmore has been available to play in their last two games. He is averaging 13.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.5 triples per game while playing 22.5 minutes. He hasn’t been a great option in category leagues, but he has been effective as a scorer during his rookie season. He will continue to provide them with important reserve minutes, though he can’t be relied on for much production in other categories consistently. He’ll look to keep it going against the Warriors on Thursday, and Whitmore should be a solid option with only five games being played that day.