Cam Whitmore is one of the highly-regarded prospects in the upcoming 2023 NBA draft. A 6’7 forward out of Villanova, Whitmore has gained recognition for his MVP performance for the gold medal-winning 2022 FIBA Americas U18 Championship squad.
Cam Whitmore 2023 NBA Draft Profile
Collegiate Career
During his lone year at Villanova, Whitmore averaged 12.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game across 26 games played. He shot 47.8% from the field, 34.2% from three, 70.3% FT, and had an effective field goal percentage of 55.1. Some of his best games include scoring 21 points and grabbing 6 rebounds in a loss against Providence in January. He also had his career-high in that same month with 26 points in a loss vs Xavier. Whitmore earned Big East Freshman of the Year honors and a unanimous selection to the All-Freshman Team for his performances.
However, Whitmore and Villanova didn’t make the 2023 NCAA Tournament after only having a 17-17 record.
Strengths
A talented forward blended with size, strength, and quickness, Whitmore is built like a tank. At 232 lbs, he can constantly run up and down the floor and is dangerous in transition. His elite explosiveness gives him an advantage in one-on-one situations to beat players down the court. Moreover, Whitmore has a lethal first step which he uses to blow by defenders. His superb leaping ability allows him to excel in finishing at the rim, either with force or finesse.
Whitmore also has flashes of being a top-tier defender with his high motor and physical tools. His size allows him to withstand contact from bigger players. Whitmore’s quickness also lets him stay in front of quicker and smaller players.
But perhaps Whitmore’s biggest strength is his versatility on offense and defense. He has the size to guard the one through four positions, and he’s athletic and quick enough to stay in front of people on defense. On offense, Whitmore can be used as a slasher, cutter, or even in the dunker spot position and lob threat. He fills in a lot of needs in a team that coaches in the NBA would love to have.
Weaknesses
While Whitmore has a variety of strengths that makes him one of the coveted players in the draft, he also has weaknesses and things that he can improve on to be a full-fledged star in the NBA. One of those is his ball handling. Although he thrives in the open court, he struggles to beat defenders using two or more dribble moves in the half-court. He mostly relies on his power to blow by people, and he has not yet shown the ability to consistently put the ball down.
Another area in which Whitmore can improve is his shooting. While he has shown flashes of knocking down shots, like his 30-point performance in Team USA’s gold medal game, Whitmore has yet to make shots consistently that make him a threat from the outside. Whitmore also shot only 70.3% on free throws in 26 games for Villanova, which is a troubling sign for a slashing wing like him, who gets fouled a lot.
Lastly, Whitmore’s decision-making could probably be a lot better. He can be too aggressive at times or make risky passes. In games where he struggles to put the ball into the basket, he sometimes takes ill-advised shots, which hampers his efficiency.
NBA Player Comparison
Zion Williamson. Williamson is a beast who shines in the open court and on fastbreaks. Like Whitmore, Williamson is also built like a tank at 6’6, 284 lbs. Both players have a unique mix of strength and quickness which they use to their advantage. Although Whitmore is a bit lighter than Williamson, he has the patented explosiveness and leaping ability that Williamson has.
While Whitmore doesn’t have yet the star aura that Williamson has, he definitely has the potential to develop one.
