Cam Whitmore recently got into a fight with Devin Booker, and it confirms everything I’ve been thinking about him.

I’ve written an article-length piece on Whitmore before, in the pre-draft stage, regarding how I did not like his game. The link to that article, which serves as the pre-draft Cam Whitmore hater manifesto, is here https://fanspo.com/nba/s/nba_articles/p/lkPZRDokLG8mhK/cam-whitmore-will-be-a-bust-heres-why . To summarize my thoughts in that article, I saw Cam Whitmore as a muscly wing who suffered from tunnel vision and needed to pass the ball instead of driving on multiple defenders, and he would need significant change in his style of play to succeed in the NBA. That is what I thought of Whitmore as early as last February, but this was the first full article I wrote on it. Every concern I had for Whitmore has proven true in the NBA. He had poor decision making and didn’t pass enough. Additionally, the reason he fell down draft boards was neither of these issues, instead an attitude problem, which he’s also proving correct. As the premiere Cam Whitmore hater on Fanspo, Whitmore has been proving me right, and it’s time to prove my takes using not just highlight analysis but also numbers. Welcome to the Cam Whitmore Hater Manifesto: Part 2

As NBA fans, we routinely make fun of Michael Porter Jr. for his lack of passing. He would not be in the NBA were it not for his scoring excellence, as he is certainly no good at passing. He has even earned the badge of being called Michael “the possession ends here” Porter Jr. on social media. Porter averages a paltry 1.5 assists per game in about 32 minutes per game. In comparison, Cam Whitmore averages 0.5 assists per game in close to 17 minutes per game. In less than twice the amount of minutes per night, Michael Porter Jr. averages three times as many assists per game as Whitmore. Cam Whitmore simply does not pass enough to be a successful NBA player. Additionally, even if Whitmore started passing more, he would still not have the skills to be successful at it. Keeping in mind that Porter Jr. plays almost twice as many minutes as Whitmore, they each average about one turnover per game (1.1-1.0) is your If the Porter Jr. proof is not enough, let’s turn to NBA ball-hogging legend Carmelo Anthony. When debating Whitmore’s value, he cited that “melo wasn’t a playmaker either.” Melo averaged 34 minutes and 2.7 assists per game in his career. In about double Whitmore’s minutes average, he quintupled his assist average. Melo had a career low of 1.0 assists per game as a washed veteran for the 2022 Lakers, still doubling Cam. Also, Carmelo Anthony never won anything in his career, with just one conference finals appearance with the 2009 Nuggets. I also don’t think Whitmore has the potential to be an all-time great scorer like Melo, although their numbers are similar so far, scoring has so drastically improved league wide since Melo’s prime that it is simply an unfair comparison. However, as a playmaker, my response to SeattleThunder can be summed up in two words: “melo CLEARS.”

The next topic to address is why I do not believe Whitmore will ever improve his passing ability, and even if he does, he won’t get a chance: his attitude is terrible. The reason he fell down the draft boards was not his play, but his attitude. NBA GMs don’t like players with a poor attitude, or even a poor reputation off the court. There’s a reason the Lakers chose to sign Harry Giles rather than Boogie Cousins or Dwight Howard. Whitmore is proving the attitude concerns true by fighting Devin Booker. Also, ball-hogging to the extent that Whitmore does is considered rude to his teammates. Poor attitude also often indicates an unwillingness to grow, which is why I’m concerned that Whitmore will never fix his IQ and tunnel vision issues. He’s likely on his last chance before being blackballed from the league like others before him.

A combination of lack of passing and poor attitude has made Cam Whitmore’s rookie season a disappointment so far. I maintain my position that he was drafted too high at pick 20, and the evidence is backing me up in his young career