Fresh off winning the Most Valuable Player (MVP) honor at the NBA’s 2023 summer league in Las Vegas, newly drafted Houston Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore is already thinking of bigger and better things.
Most notably, he told ESPN in Tuesday’s televised interview that he’s aiming to be the league’s 2023-24 Rookie of the Year.
“I have the biggest skill set in the draft right now, and I think I’m the most different type of athlete,” Whitmore told NBA Today.
Granted, it’s easier said than done. Competition from his own rookie class is likely to include San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren, Portland’s Scoot Henderson, Charlotte’s Brandon Miller and teammate, Amen Thompson.
Beyond that, Whitmore is likely to face significant internal competition for minutes. Other candidates for the Rockets include second-year forwards Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason; versatile wings Dillon Brooks and Kevin Porter Jr.; and veteran Jae’Sean Tate.
Then again, even at 19 years old, it would be foolish to count the former Villanova player out. Whitmore was a bit of an afterthought when Houston began its 2023 summer-league run, and yet he became MVP on a roster that also featured Thompson, Smith and Eason.
Granted, those three were shut down early due to either injury or rest, but availability is an issue in the regular season, too. That could offer an opportunity for Whitmore, even if he doesn’t have a big role when the 2023-24 season begins in October.
Whitmore’s complete interview can be viewed below.
