2023 NBA Draft Live Tracker: Grading every pick made
2023 NBA Draft grade: No. 20 pick Cam Whitmore, Houston Rockets
20. F. Villanova. Cam Whitmore. player. 169. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
Grade: A+
Unreal. Barring off-court concerns we don’t know about, there’s really no justifiable reason for Cam Whitmore to fall this far. There have been rumblings of poor workouts and unimpressive interviews, but that’s classic front office overthinking.
Whitmore is a freight-train athlete with a chiseled frame and elite explosiveness. His 3-point shot projects well and he will dominate attacking rotating defenders off passes from Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun. The Rockets’ athleticism on the perimeter is borderline unfair.
He will need to develop as a decision-maker and playmaker, but there’s real self-creation upside given Whitmore’s low center of gravity and twitch. If he can increase his wiggle off the bounce there’s legitimate star upside here. Not to mention his defensive potential. He should not have been available at No. 20. The Rockets have two top-6 talents.
From our NBA Draft Big Board:
"An explosive 6-foot-7, 230-pound power athlete on the wing, Cam Whitmore kept NBA scouts intrigued all season despite bouts of inconsistency. He can defend up and down the positional spectrum and he possesses impressive open-court athleticism. Tie that in with steady growth as a shooter and playmaker, and there’s reason to believe Whitmore’s game will only get better from here. Plus, he played for Villanova, one of the top developmental hotspots in the country."