Cam Whitmore

[nate33]

I expect Cam to get at least 20 mins a game. (I don’t think he’s in the starting lineup from the outset of the season.) I believe Cam will prove to be the Zards second-best scoring threat after Tre amongst the youngins.

How many minutes Cam ultimately gets will depend, in large part, on how committed he is on defense.

Cam just turned 21...and has a ton of untapped potential.

Cam will probably come off the bench but if he only gets 20 minutes a game expect another trade request because he didn’t force his way here not to play. I think guys like Kispert and Middleton are far more likely to face a minutes crunch

20 minutes a game is enough. That's two lengthy shifts per game. It'll give him plenty of opportunity to demonstrate that he deserves more minutes.

If Cam dominates for those 20 minutes and then doesn't earn more, maybe he'll request a trade then. But he doesn't just get handed 30 minutes a game just because he showed up.

[payitforward]

If Cam has common sense & good advisers, he'll be Mr. nice guy -- modest & cooperative, grateful for a second chance.

He's talented but limited, more likely a journeyman than a star, possibly even out of the league in a year or two.

This kid is playing for his 2d contract.

[doclinkin]

Ultimately, I think much of Whitmore‘s upside depends on developing chemistry with Bub Carrington. And to a lesser extent with 2ndary playmakers Sarr and George.

My read is Cam has a tendency to overdribble. He can handle fair enough but given opportunity to create for himself he doesn’t react quick enough to catch the opposing team off guard. He’s trying to shake the man in front of him, but this gives the 2nd line defense time to adjust. They know he’s not going to pass. He may blow through the perimeter defender and then check up when he sees a true big waiting in the paint.

This shows up in his shot profile.
20% of his shots are dunks or layups where he hits above 60%.

25% are in that 3-10’ no man’s land. There he’s only converting 20-something percent.

He hits a nice percentage from mid range and long 2 though he rarely takes that shot.

Hits above 40% from corner 3. Though about average overall.

Cam is a force when he reacts with sudden aggression. Less so when he’s forced into decision making. You want him engaged and in attack mode so he knows he will get the ball as soon as he’s open. I think he could learn to rely on that middy more unless he has an obvious lane. Decide earlier to pull up instead of driving into the teeth of the D.

He needs to learn to stay in motion to get open too. Rely on others to see it and feed him. One issue is I think he loses focus and doesn’t know what to do when he doesn’t have the ball. With his physicality I’d love it if he learned to be aggressive in the screens game. He’d get easy baskets if could set a nasty screen since defenders would avoid him and he could roll off the slipped screen for an open lane.

Again: Can we bring back Gortat as a screens guru? If he committed to it Cam could set a screen that would knock a players breath out. Play some pick and roll with Bub and Key. Or be Sarrs bailout scorer crashing the lanes or hitting the 3 when the Big passes to him on the short roll.

[payitforward]

To put it another way, Cam Whitmore is a project.

Coach him up & give him a chance. If he works out, great. If he doesn't work out, oh well... it was worth a try.

[doclinkin]

To put it another way, Cam Whitmore is a project.

Coach him up & give him a chance. If he works out, great. If he doesn't work out, oh well... it was worth a try.

And preserves our spot in the tank race. We don’t have Kuzma and Poole putting up exciting numbers in a loss. If Cam can fill this role til we land a top 8 lotto slot then i say give him as many developmental minutes as he can handle.

This year.

We win by losing. There’s really little downside to him taking a significant role in the Middleton/Mcollum minutes. If we grows, great. If not. Also great.

Let the future figure itself out.

[payitforward]

Watch on YouTube

[payitforward]

To put it another way, Cam Whitmore is a project.

Coach him up & give him a chance. If he works out, great. If he doesn't work out, oh well... it was worth a try.

And preserves our spot in the tank race. ...i say give him as many developmental minutes as he can handle.

This year.

We win by losing. There’s really little downside to him taking a significant role in the Middleton/Mcollum minutes. If we grows, great. If not. Also great.

Let the future figure itself out.

Agree 1000%!!

[TheBlackCzar]

9 and 20 your looking at Chat GPT made me ask Gemini a question about Cam and here's what it thinks...

Cam Whitmore is often compared to a variety of NBA players due to his unique blend of athleticism, strength, and raw offensive talent, along with areas for development. Here are some of the potential player comparisons frequently mentioned:

**Primary Comparisons (often highlighting his physical and scoring traits):**

* **Caron Butler/Jae Crowder:** These comparisons emphasize Whitmore's physically imposing frame (6'6", 230 lbs), ability to get to the rim, and potential to be a versatile wing who can guard multiple positions.
* **Miles Bridges:** This comparison is often made due to Whitmore's explosive athleticism, power, and ability to score in transition and at the rim.
* **Aaron Gordon:** Some see similarities in his athleticism, strength, and ability to play in the dunker spot and finish violently at the rim. However, it's noted that Gordon was a better passer coming out of college.
* **Andrew Wiggins:** This comparison highlights his athleticism and potential as a "3 and D" guy who can also attack the rim.
* **Corey Maggette:** This comparison points to his potential as a high-volume scorer who can get to the free-throw line, though with some defensive limitations.

**More Aspirational/High-End Comparisons (if he reaches his full potential and addresses weaknesses):**

* **Anthony Edwards:** This is a more ambitious comparison, focusing on his strong downhill driving, aggressive scoring, and athleticism. However, scouts note that Whitmore's playmaking is not currently at Edwards' level.
* **Jaylen Brown:** This comparison suggests a potential for a strong, athletic two-way wing who can score and defend.
* **Jerry Stackhouse:** This comparison points to his scoring ability and physical attributes.
* **Mini Carmelo:** This comparison likely refers to his scoring instincts and ability to create his own shot.

**Key Traits Driving Comparisons:**

* **Elite Athlete and Finisher:** Whitmore is known for his explosive athleticism, strength, and ability to finish through contact at the rim. He's an aggressive slasher and a highlight finisher, especially in transition.
* **NBA-Ready Frame:** His physical build (6'6", 230 lbs with a 6'8.5" wingspan) is often cited as NBA-ready, allowing him to absorb contact and potentially guard multiple positions.
* **Scoring Instincts:** He has a knack for scoring, capable of hitting shots off the dribble and when contested. He can create offense for himself, though sometimes with "tunnel vision."

**Areas for Improvement that Impact Comparisons:**

* **Playmaking and Vision:** A common weakness noted is his limited playmaking and court vision, with a tendency to have "tunnel vision" and low assist numbers.
* **Defensive Awareness:** While he has the physical tools to be a good defender, his defensive awareness, rotations, and susceptibility to fakes are areas that need significant improvement.
* **Shot Consistency and Release:** His three-point shot can be inconsistent, and his release is sometimes described as deliberate, limiting the types of shots he can take.

Overall, the comparisons for Cam Whitmore reflect a player with significant physical tools and scoring potential, but also a need for development in his decision-making, passing, and defensive consistency to reach his high-end potential.

If Cam can get remotely close to his high upside of Jaylen Brown, Ant Edwards, Mini-Melo, YES PLEASE...... Him turning into any of those 3 is an excellent player to have on our team.....

[payitforward]

No sh#t....

[I_Like_Dirt]

Ultimately, I think much of Whitmore‘s upside depends on developing chemistry with Bub Carrington. And to a lesser extent with 2ndary playmakers Sarr and George.

My read is Cam has a tendency to overdribble. He can handle fair enough but given opportunity to create for himself he doesn’t react quick enough to catch the opposing team off guard. He’s trying to shake the man in front of him, but this gives the 2nd line defense time to adjust. They know he’s not going to pass. He may blow through the perimeter defender and then check up when he sees a true big waiting in the paint.

This shows up in his shot profile.
20% of his shots are dunks or layups where he hits above 60%.

25% are in that 3-10’ no man’s land. There he’s only converting 20-something percent.

He hits a nice percentage from mid range and long 2 though he rarely takes that shot.

Hits above 40% from corner 3. Though about average overall.

Cam is a force when he reacts with sudden aggression. Less so when he’s forced into decision making. You want him engaged and in attack mode so he knows he will get the ball as soon as he’s open. I think he could learn to rely on that middy more unless he has an obvious lane. Decide earlier to pull up instead of driving into the teeth of the D.

He needs to learn to stay in motion to get open too. Rely on others to see it and feed him. One issue is I think he loses focus and doesn’t know what to do when he doesn’t have the ball. With his physicality I’d love it if he learned to be aggressive in the screens game. He’d get easy baskets if could set a nasty screen since defenders would avoid him and he could roll off the slipped screen for an open lane.

Again: Can we bring back Gortat as a screens guru? If he committed to it Cam could set a screen that would knock a players breath out. Play some pick and roll with Bub and Key. Or be Sarrs bailout scorer crashing the lanes or hitting the 3 when the Big passes to him on the short roll.

Offensively he's workable and decent at worst. It's defense where he has a problem. The league is moving towards team defense as a requirement and he doesn't have it. He's young enough that he could figure it out given time but he was never going to play for Udoka with where he's at there. He likely still has a place in the league kinda like Oubre does even if he doesn't totally figure out the defensive side but that's the kind of player that gets moved for 2nds if a team has a glut at his position.

[AFM]

How Whitmore turns out as a player really depends on how good of a player he is and how well he plays. If he plays well, and put up good numbers, there’s a decent chance he may turn out to be a good player. Then again, the opposite is also true. If he plays poorly, and puts up bad stats, he may end up being not so good. This is just my take on things, and others may feel differently.

[doclinkin]

Offensively he's workable and decent at worst. It's defense where he has a problem. The league is moving towards team defense as a requirement and he doesn't have it. He's young enough that he could figure it out given time but he was never going to play for Udoka with where he's at there. He likely still has a place in the league kinda like Oubre does even if he doesn't totally figure out the defensive side but that's the kind of player that gets moved for 2nds if a team has a glut at his position.

True. But we played Jordan Poole heavy minutes and were able to trade him for CJ and change. Cam will be worth more in trade if he gets a chance to put up highlights and box score explosions. We have only one other me-first scorer on the team, so we can afford to let Whitmore run rampant out there and inflate his numbers. At the very least.

Too there are those players who only engage on defense if they are involved in the offense. Otherwise they tune out at both ends. I’ve seen Cam play tough one-on-one D at the point of attack. I’d like to see BK challenge him to take that role. Slow down the ball handler. Press and bully in transition. If he takes pride in it at this end, maybe it forces turnovers and leads to highlight dunks at the other end. Reward for the work. Instead of ‘why bother. I’m not getting the ball at the other end anyway’

I dunno. Curious to see how it works out.

[Frichuela]

Very curious (and excited) to watch how Cam performs.

He and Tre are alphas we have not had since the Wall/Beal era.

Cam per 36 numbers with Houston last season are pretty decent: 21 pts, 6.6 rebs, 1.3 steals, 0.6 blocks, 2.1 assists. And efficiency not bad either: 53 2P%, 36% 3P% and 75% FT %.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/whitmca01.html

The question is if we can replicate (and even better improve) these playing +25 mins a game consistently.

[I_Like_Dirt]

True. But we played Jordan Poole heavy minutes and were able to trade him for CJ and change. Cam will be worth more in trade if he gets a chance to put up highlights and box score explosions. We have only one other me-first scorer on the team, so we can afford to let Whitmore run rampant out there and inflate his numbers. At the very least.

I don't see him as a bad trial. The price was right anyway and I'm curious to see if he can grow. He certainly won't hurt the team's aspirations this season so there is no real downside here.

As for being worth more... I'm not convinced unless he shows out on defense or the league completely does a 180 on that end. I do very much support the idea of more trades with the Pelicans though. That's the team that has clearly gone in on de-prioritizing team defense. They just used 2 lottery picks (including spending next year's UP 1st for one ofbtbem) in order to draft the 2 worst team defenders in the lottery with limited upside on that front. And then they traded for Poole... I'm not sure how much more they have to give but trading with Dumars is a solid idea.

[payitforward]

Offensively he's workable and decent at worst....

No. Offensively, he posted an awful TS% & exhibited little ability to make his teammates better or facilitate for them in any way.

It's defense where he has a problem....

There too,

He's young enough that he could figure it out given time....

The question is whether he's coachable enough & cares enough.

In short, as I wrote earlier, Cam is a reclamation project.
If he makes it, great. If not, it was worth a try.

[pcbothwel]

Very curious (and excited) to watch how Cam performs.

He and Tre are alphas we have not had since the Wall/Beal era.

Cam per 36 numbers with Houston last season are pretty decent: 21 pts, 6.6 rebs, 1.3 steals, 0.6 blocks, 2.1 assists. And efficiency not bad either: 53 2P%, 36% 3P% and 75% FT %.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/whitmca01.html

The question is if we can replicate (and even better improve) these playing +25 mins a game consistently.

More important than that, he does better with more minutes/usage.
Cam played in 51 games last year, and in 28 of those 51 games he played at least 20 minutes. In those 28 games, he posted a per 36 of 22 & 7 on a TS of 59%. It almost the same split he had his rookie year as well.
Other similar archetypes/peers (Jalen Green, RJ Barrett, Kuminga, Miles Bridges, etc) were in the low-mid 50's for their TS.

[payitforward]

Good info !!

[payitforward]

Just for clarity, last year...

Cam's TS% was 54.9% -- well below average for a 4.
All 3 shooting percentages -- 2 pt, 3 pt, & FT -- were below average.
His rebounding rate was a bit below average.
His assist rate was well below average.
He committed more turnovers than average.
He had fewer blocks than average.

OTOH, he had more steals than average,
He fouled less than average.

These facts are not intended to ding Cam but rather to prevent early disillusionment.

Cam is a project. As with most such, the likelihood of success is small not large.
Still... hope for the best.

[DCZards]

Just for clarity, last year...

Cam's TS% was 54.9% -- well below average for a 4.
All 3 shooting percentages -- 2 pt, 3 pt, & FT -- were below average.
His rebounding rate was a bit below average.
His assist rate was well below average.
He committed more turnovers than average.
He had fewer blocks than average.

Cam’s age and years of experience were probably also well below average.

[doclinkin]

Just for clarity, last year...

Cam's TS% was 54.9% -- well below average for a 4.
All 3 shooting percentages -- 2 pt, 3 pt, & FT -- were below average.
His rebounding rate was a bit below average.
His assist rate was well below average.
He committed more turnovers than average.
He had fewer blocks than average.

Cam’s age and years of experience were probably also well below average.

As was his height for a 4. Because he is not a 4. He's an outside shooting wing. A 2/3 combo forward. The majority of his possessions started above the three point line.

We fall back into the discussion of arbitrary position designations vs roles played. This commonly is where PIF's definition of what makes a good or bad player gets a bit wobbly. A player whose possessions are mostly outside will post lower rebound totals. Especially on offense. PIF prefers Win Score (not wins produced) which weights rebounds heavily, and offensive boards a notch heavier than most. Sometimes an outside shooting player contributes highly to wins since they force teams to chase them and abandon the boards on the interior.

Granted Cam is not a floor bending threat from outside. He's pretty much exactly average for a SF.Posting a career .357 from 3. Small forwards hit .354 from 3 last year. Not great on his behalf, but given his 75% from the FT line there is hope that his outside shooting improves. One would think, considering the great Justin Champagnie hit exactly .357 in his own age 20 year. Want to know something bizarre: in their rookie seasons both Champagnie and Cam Whitmore hit .538 from 2.

Point being Champagnie broke out when given consistent minutes with the Wizards (and in the G League under the training regimen we share with the GoGo). He was nearly out of the league when we refurbished him. Here the team has an opportunity to do the same with a talented player in Cam Whitmore. I'm not the greatest fan of Whitmore's game but I do think he will play more minutes this year than JC does. Reasonably so. We are not yet in the meritocracy portion of team building. We are in the potential and upside portion. Cam has the potential to be a foul magnet on offense given his play style and athleticism. Highlights sell seats, buzz influences referreeing, star power draws attention. We need players who can score through contact and get fans standing up out of their seats. IF we can turn around the narrative of a player like Whitmore, we can continue to build the rep as a team that has a good training program and is headed in the right direction. We saw how that narrative has begun to influence players like Ace Bailey in the draft. Hell that growing narrative actually landed us Whitmore on the cheap, according to the story put out by Houston.

I like JC. After this year if he manages to seize a starting role or siphons minutes from any of the other forwards, cool. I just don't see him doing so this year. I think they will invest more heavily in building value of the younger players whose production may be lesser than their potential. Cam, sure, and also George, Bilal, etc. I think he will start fewer games, play less minutes than all of these guys. Just my read of the situation.