I have made a lot of predictions in this draft, and some of them are hot takes. But one of the takes I feel strongly on and is one of the less agreed upon takes on the site is my take on Cam Whitmore. My opinion on him is highlight based, but I think that the fact that I’ve only seen highlights actually emphasizes my case even more. I’ve had this opinion for a while, but never written an article-length post about it. So, let’s get into it.

Cam Whitmore is a big, strong forward out of Villanova and is seen as a probable top 10 pick. He’s known for using his body and getting rebounds and is seen by some as having Anthony Edwards-level potential. However, I just don’t see it. From what I’ve seen on his highlights, he often starts with the ball on the perimeter and is facing what seems to be some sort of zone defense. Whitmore then proceeds to drive into the paint, using his body to get a shot up over multiple defenders. If he doesn’t make the first shot, he outduels the other team’s 2-3 big men to get the rebound for a putback, getting a second-chance bucket.

These types of plays make up a lot of his highlight reels; driving in on multiple defenders and getting a bucket. These plays are supposed to showcase his ability to drive against multiple guys and his amazing rebounding. I will give Whitmore this: he’s a great rebounder. However, what I really took away from these plays is a lack of good decision making and basketball IQ on Whitmore’s part. The man chooses to take a shot over three defenders instead of passing the ball to one of at least two open teammates, according to the math. Many players on my own basketball team do this, and my coach usually sits them down after a play like this. However, Whitmore is praised for the same play.

It doesn’t matter that the play resulted in a bucket. He is going up against Big East defenders, not even Power Five defenders, and failed to make the NCAA tournament. This makes me worry about how Cam Whitmore’s ball-dominant play will fare in the NBA against bigger, stronger athletes. He won’t be able to do these types of maneuvers against, say, a frontcourt of Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr., much less against the best big men in the league. They are simply too big and too strong to deal with one man. Sure, there is less zone defense in the NBA, but all it requires to stop Whitmore is a help defender coming from another man who, despite being left open, will not be found with Whitmore’s limited court vision and often tunnel vision.

That is my view on Whitmore: he is a skilled player, a great rebounder and very strong, and even a solid scorer. However, his tunnel vision, poor court vision, and subpar decision making may be too strong to overcome, and he may be out of the league before he can fix these issues.

Please let me know your opinions on Whitmore in the comments section. I’m interested to see how his career pans out, and I hope the man can overcome his shortcomings because, if he does, he can be special. As of now, however, I wouldn’t pick him in the lottery if I was a GM.