Earlier in the 2023-24 NBA regular season, one of the biggest surprises in the league was the emergence of the Houston Rockets as a legitimate force to be reckoned with under new head coach Ime Udoka.
Despite a solid start to the season, the Rockets have come back down to earth of sorts, with the team currently three games below .500 coming into Monday’s game against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers.
Ahead of the matchup between Houston and Los Angeles, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham had high praise for rookie Cam Whitmore, who they passed up on in the 2023 NBA Draft, as many other teams chose to do before the Rockets were on the clock, via Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
Per Buha, Ham called Whitmore a “bright, young superstar” and said he is going to be “special.”
Darvin Ham calls Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore a “bright, young superstar.”
“The kid is gonna be special, man,” Ham said. He noted that the Lakers brought Whitmore in for a pre-draft workout.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) January 29, 2024
In 22 games with the Rockets thus far this season, Whitmore is averaging 10.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, shooting 47.5% from the floor and 39.8% from beyond the arc.
Whitmore has already carved out a role on this talented young Rockets team and could be one of the main reasons Houston turns things around in the years to come under Udoka.
As for the Lakers, rookie guard Jalen Hood-Schifino rarely sees the floor for Los Angeles unless the team gets blown out or has a big lead in the fourth quarter.
Whitmore was drafted by the Rockets at No. 20 overall out of the University of Villanova, while Hood-Schifino was taken three picks earlier at No. 17.
Unless Hood-Schifino turns out to be a late bloomer, the Lakers may have missed an opportunity to bring in a talented young player who would be in the rotation on a nightly basis.
NEXT:
Warriors Reportedly ‘Open’ To Trading Klay Thompson
