I’m personally pro-Amen at 4, but would also have Anthony Black, Ausar, Jarace, and Bilal above Cam for us, so it’s not a my guy vs the other guy situation. With Cam, I just struggle to understand what his value projects to be other than getting buckets effectively? Getting buckets is great. On my non-team specific big board I’d have Cam higher, probably in the 6-8 range. But do you think the Rockets have space or need for more prospects who project to generate efficient offense for themselves but don’t project to make others around them better on offense or defense? See: Jalen, KPJ, KJ
I think this might be the first time I think *you* are massively underrating Cam, and I'm the one that needs to step in and pump him up haha. I like PJ Tucker a lot, but if Cam was basically a more athletic, better shooting PJ...I'd say maybe we can just sign a comparable player with the MLE at some point and not waste a #4 on that kind of guy. Cam IMO has some serious potential as a scorer. This places him WAY above Tucker or other role players of this type. I question if he can hit his ceiling due to playmaking concerns (which will limit his overall effectiveness as a scorer), but he does have some fantastic skills IMO, especially given his age. Again, this is one of the reasons I'd want to 100% prioritize his playmaking development if he is drafted. Developing him as a 3&D role player is not the way to go with him IMO. With his skills, he could end up replacing JG as primary scorer...and I like JG.
Personally, I think it'd be a huge mistake to draft for need when you don't have a single proven star on the roster yet. I, too, have Amen higher based on the playmaking skillset and athleticism, and the fact that he may be the most talented creator in the draft (debatable with Scoot) at a clear area of need is obviously a huge positive. But the Rockets just need to hit on this pick, period. I don't care if it's at a perceived area of need or not. You know what they need most of all right now? Young talent and a future star. You draft based on the guy you think is most likely to give you that, and you worry about fit later. If you take Cam, it forces you to sign a veteran point guard in free agency. But they need to do that anyway even if they add Amen. I think saying "he only gives you buckets" is an oversimplification of what he does well. Just like people who say Amen is only an athletic playmaker. Cam's strength and ability on the glass is a huge positive. And he's a very good on-ball defender who should be versatile defending most wings and smaller forwards. If I had to bet on Cam, KPJ or Green being the better long-term perimeter defender, I'd take Cam without thinking. This roster desperately needs more guys with well-rounded games who aren't scarecrows on defense.
I was starting to doubt myself on Cam and needed your post to get me back on track . Scrap PJ and make Cam a Jimmy Butler type without the clutch gene (yet). Good coaching will teach him how to pass out of double teams. Hakeem couldn’t pass for his life at first and then was coached to trust his teammates and the rest was history.
I’m not saying draft for fit because our players are so great, I’m saying you have to take diversification of your bets into account. We already have 3 active bets on players who closely match Cam’s offensive mode (efficient low bbiq bucket getters / finishers). There are strongly diminishing returns to having multiple bets on players who do similar things that don’t synergize, like iso scoring. Not because of positional need or knowing Jalen or KJ or KPJ will be here in the future, it’s that trying to develop or trade 3-4 guys in similar molds blocks you from getting to high-end outcomes, because it’s zero sum. I even think having 2 of those bets active is a bad idea. Jalen and Cam on the floor together would have negative synergies for their chances of hitting their top end. And I agree with you that the goal is to maximize odds at getting maximum return (a superstar / #1). IMO, drafting a player who projects as a power iso bucket getter does the opposite, it caps your return - since there’s only so good a player of that style can be. You can’t be a top 20 player with poor feel / BBIQ. There aren’t any. We need to be chasing the highest end outcomes, because the guy who will be the best player on the next Rockets title team is not on this roster yet. If you told me I could draft Cam and lock in an 80th percentile, fringe / low end all-star outcome for him (I.e., a “good” pick), I’d still take Amen or anyone who has a chance of being THE guy, even if the median outcome is much lower.
This is why I like Walker more than most. Walker can score all 3 levels, he didn't show his "go get a bucket" as often at UH but the ability is there. On defense however this guy is a stopper and an elite level and it'll be able to guard multiple positions he's also a hawk on the boards. His attitude is team first and that's something we need on the Rockets right now desperately. I know some people complain about the fit he can play on the floor with anyone because of his defensive ability. He'd be the perfect fit next to our pass happy slow-footed Center.
https://theathletic.com/4620111/2023/06/19/nba-draft-pistons-cam-whitmore/ Let’s say these are the top-4 picks: Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller and Amen Thompson. Who would you put your money on Detroit selecting at No. 5? Vecenie: I wouldn’t necessarily assume Amen Thompson is off the board. Folks around the NBA firmly believe Whitmore is in play to go No. 4 if Henderson and Miller go Nos. 2 and 3 in some order. But for the purpose of this exercise, let’s take him off the board. I still think it’s tough to call. My pick would be Whitmore because I think the Pistons don’t really have anyone with his size and scoring ability at the 3 right now. He’s the No. 3 player on my board, and I’d take him for the Pistons over Brandon Miller, personally. He’s physical and athletic, and will enter the league as one of its best athletes from Day One due to his intersection of explosiveness and power.
Hope all of you are well. The FO is high on Whitmore, but... Ime has a different vision, according to the "good" Celtics that stay clear of the Green Hair Flopping Smurf. Everything I've heard is packaging 2 picks for an immediate difference maker. Watch for Portland with Dame likely leaving and we will obviously speaking with Philly in some capacity. Harden wants to win, Philly is the priority unless we bring over his other buddy. Last I heard: we draft as scheduled and later trade .... Brandon Ingram anyone? Floating out there. At least no worries of Jeremy "Lose 2 Playoff games" Lin X° Cod
"I want the relationship to work" He's saving face before ultimately leaving. Never doubt the CODFATHER
This is where I get worried. Ime is not a GM. He doesn’t care about a long-term rebuild. He cares about maximizing wins next year and to do that he can’t add more rookies. I don’t think trading out this this draft is good for the team in the long run, but it sounds Ike there’s a strong chance of that happening. But Portland isn’t trading Dame somewhere he doesn’t want to be. No way he’s traded to Houston.
