Houston Rockets: 5 Season-defining narratives to follow after splashy offseason

The impressive rookies

The Rockets drafted two of the most talked about players in the NBA Summer League as both Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore had spectacular showings. Thompson had 16 points, five assists, four rebounds, four blocks, and three steals during his debut but ended up injuring his ankle and the Rockets immediately shut him down.

Thompson’s injury opened the door for Whitmore as he took full advantage and took home MVP honors. Both of these rookies should be given ample time to develop and both should come off the bench to begin the season. Don’t be surprised if either one of these rookies can earn a spot start here and there as Udoka tinkers with different lineup combinations.

Whitmore fell to the Rockets with the 20th overall selection and they had to be surprised that Whitmore was still on the board. Whitmore was said to have fallen out of the lottery because of injury concerns, but he may have just made teams regret the fact they passed up on him. It remains unknown exactly what the Rockets have in store for Whitmore.

There was speculation that the Rockets could assign Whitmore to the G League but that is highly unlikely now. If he has a good showing in training camp and in the preseason, then Whitmore could make an impact as a rookie and force his way into the lineup.