34 points and 8 rebounds! Pacers once wanted to trade to get Whitmore, and the Rockets young men need to subtract

Look at the Pacers' offense and then look at the Rockets' offense. It's impossible to compare. The Pacers had eleven players on the last game against the Knicks. However, the Rockets insisted on eight-man rotation in the playoffs. Ben Shepard is average in talent. He got the chance to enter the rotation because he could throw three points in the Pacers, while many draft experts are optimistic about the sharpshooter Reed Shepard can only sit on the bench in the Rockets. The Pacers head coach pursues offense, while the Rockets head coach prefers defense. Young players like Shepard and Whitmore with offensive talents may develop well if they are playing at the Pacers.

Whitmore scored 34 points and 8 rebounds in the regular season against the Lakers, and head coach Redick said he has the potential to be a starting player in many teams. Seeing Whitmore's scoring performance, some American media came forward to tease the Lakers' draft vision. They chose Jaylen Hood Sifino, who had the No. 17 signing.

Pacers once wanted to get Whitmore through the trade, maybe they called the Lakers, but eventually let the Rockets get a bargain. The Pacers got No. 8 pick Jares Walker, but they also want another potential striker, Cam Whitmore.

Pacers general manager Chard Buchanan revealed that they tried to trade upwards to get Whitmore, and they started calling from the 10th pick and all the way to the 20th. But making a transaction requires both parties to agree, and they really do their best.

It seems that the Pacers General Manager really liked Whitmore and they sent out an invitation to a separate trial very early. The Rockets did not promise to choose Whitmore with the 4th pick, and of course he had to try more options. Whitmore felt good at trying out at the Pacers, and he worked hard. Whitmore said in an interview that he wanted to show his shooting ability.

Whitmore's career regular season three-point shooting percentage was 35.7%, which is still good. He has excellent physical talent, a strong style of play, and is suitable for the Pacers' offensive system.

That year, the Rockets chose Amen with the 4th pick, and they had only the 20th pick and tried to trade upward to win Whitmore.

In the end, the Rockets got both Amen and Whitmore, who are also considered the winners of the 2023 draft.

Rockets insider talked about picking Whitmore in an interview: When he was down in the draft, we considered trading upwards to get him, and the final result felt like he won the lottery. He is so strong at this age that he will fit in our forward group well.

Amen is a lucky thing to meet Uduka, and Whitmore is not. Uduka said Whitmore's score is not a problem, and he needs to improve in other aspects. Uduka said he would consider increasing Whitmore's playing time next season, and some Rockets fans think his chance is coming.

Uduka praised Whitmore last season and said he would not play in the Development League again. As a result, Whitmore was transferred to the Vipers this season. So even though Uduka said so, it does not mean that Whitmore's situation in the Rockets can be improved. The ultimate goal of the Rockets is to win the championship. There are too many young people in the team that cannot be cultivated and subtraction is needed. For talented young players like Whitmore, if the Rockets cannot give him a chance, they might as well send him to a team that suits them and do not delay the talent.