The Rockets have a Cam Whitmore problem that needs to be fixed

The Houston Rockets have no shortage of talent.

If anything, they have a surplus. After a seemingly endless spell in the lottery, the Rockets have accumulated an excess of talented young players. They even managed to snag some steals in the latter stages of the draft, resulting in a "core seven".

Traditionally, seven is too many players for one core. The Rockets are not proving an exception to that rule. Someone had to be the odd man out here, and it seems like it's Cam Whitmore.

It might be a problem.

Rockets' Cam Whitmore looking isolated

There are growing concerns about Whitmore's body language. The salty tone of a recent post-game interview did nothing to alleviate those concerns.

That said, it's best to avoid putting the cart before the horse.

If you haven't spoken to Whitmore personally, you shouldn't claim to know how he feels. It's possible that this is much ado about nothing. One bout of post-game frustration is inconsequential, and body language is difficult to interpret.

Put the narratives aside and focus on the numbers. In theory, this is a problem whether Whitmore is frustrated or not.

Rockets have no room for Whitmore

Whitmore is far from a perfect player.

Let's start with the flaws. Whitmore is averaging 1.2 assists per 75 possessions. Some will argue that this is a poor measure of his play. The Rockets are a subpar shooting team, and Whitmore's teammates may be failing to convert on his passes.

Problematically, those passes rarely come. Whitmore is making 8.7 passes per game during his 14.8 minutes. For context, Jae'Sean Tate makes 9.4 passes in 10.3 minutes per contest.

Some fans will still resist this analysis. They'll argue that Whitmore is a play finisher - he's not expected to pass. OK. Steven Adams is making 13.3 passes during his 10.5 minutes per game.

The data unequivocally suggests that Whitmore is a ball stopper. The eye test says the same. Whitmore calls his own number almost exclusively. He looks to score almost every time he scores the ball.

At least he's a potent scorer.

Whitmore is scoring 23.4 points per 75 possessions. That's impressive. It's reasonable to suggest that he could be one of the better scorers in the NBA some day.

Ordinarily, any player who's demonstrated an outlier skill at Whitmore's age would be given a longer rope. The Rockets don't find themselves in an ordinary situation. This is a team who's singular goal in 2024-25 is to make as deep of a playoff run as possible. That minimizes their incentive to find playing time for one of the least willing passers in the NBA.

If that was his only issue, Whitmore might be on the floor more often. He's also prone to defensive lapses. We know that won't fly with Ime Udoka. Ultimately, we're looking at a talented player who's too flawed to contribute meaningfully to a team in the Rockets' position.

That's the problem. What's the solution?

Rockets should weigh their options

It's generally a consensus that the Rockets shouldn't trade any of those core 7 guys this year. The logic dictates that when you're the second seed in the West, you ought to stand pat.

If the right deal comes around for Whitmore, the Rockets should make an exception.

Is Whitmore really a "core" player if Ime Udoka is playing him for 14.8 minutes per game? Sure, Reed Sheppard sees less time - but he's a rookie. Whitmore has actually seen his role demoted since his rookie campaign when he played 18.7 minutes per game.

Trading him is one option. So is maintaining the status quo. Whitmore's discontent - if it even exists - isn't costing the Rockets games. What's the issue?

That's fine as a short-term solution. In the long run, the Rockets are harming Whitmore's trade value and career trajectory. Giving him more minutes doesn't feel like a viable solution until he plugs the holes in his game. That would be the optimal solution, but if Whitmore hasn't managed to fix his approach by the summer, the Rockets should look to move him.

It's not like they're desperate for young talent.