How Rockets got Cam Whitmore out of 'la la land' and unlocked his defensive potential

Since Cam Whitmore was inserted back into the Rockets rotation thanks in part to injuries to Jabari Smith Jr.

and Tari Eason (who recently returned to action) the second-year forward has brought a much-needed offensive boost.

His 10.1 points per game ranks first among players who average 17 minutes or fewer.

His per-36-minute output (22.8 points) wedges him between the likes of Trae Young and Jaylen Brown.

His floor-spacing (42.2 percent from 3 since December) is vital for a bad shooting team.

According to Cleaning the Glass, Houstons offensive efficiency rises by nearly five points per 100 possessions when Whitmore is on the floor (80th percentile).

Advertisement But thats not the most impressive aspect of his nightly performances not to head coach Ime Udoka, whose focus is generally directed to the other end.

He recently used the word engaged to describe Whitmores attentiveness to the defensive gameplan, which up until this stretch had been his weakness and one of the main reasons why he was sent down to the G League.

Solving the Whitmore equation was never about shot selection.

Whitmore has a penchant for letting it fly, and when he feels as if hes not involved offensively, his body language and actions show it.

But in a tight rotation with players battling for minutes, Udoka and the coaching staff cared far more about Whitmores ability to defend within the team concept.

As a rookie, he showed flashes of defensive playmaking, but Udoka cared less about gambles that paid off and more about the teams cohesion.

Sometimes, Whitmore let his frustrations on one end carry over to his effort on the other, but other times, it was simply about understanding the job.

It was always his recognition, Udoka said earlier this month.

Its hard to communicate when youre a step behind yourself.

So awareness, recognition, reaction all those things that were doing off-ball (were crucial).

It was more about off-ball defense and team defense in general.

Hes a big, physical body and is going to take on challenges one-on-one, but thats not how we play.

We dont just fight and get through every screen and stay with a man, we do a lot more communication and stuff to be proactive.

He was a little slow with those initially, (but) much better now.

One of the common misconceptions about great defensive teams is the assumption theyre elite in every facet of team defense.

On paper, the Rockets possess multiple physical players who can guard multiple positions.

According to Synergy tracking data, Houston switches a lot (10th most in the league) but ranks 26th in points allowed per play when they do.

Advertisement Its why Whitmore reclaiming minutes under Udoka is so important.

At 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, Whitmore has the tools to be an impactful defender.

Since returning from his stint with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Whitmore is looking more like a capable team defender.

As Udoka said earlier, Houstons system isnt predicated on having lockdown options and leaving them on islands its a combined effort.

Since so much attention is focused on Whitmores offensive contributions (his 10-point, 4-for-6 shooting first quarter against Cleveland, for starters), his effectiveness at the other end often goes unnoticed.

Per Bball-Index, he falls into the 90th percentile of defensive positional versatility, which often reveals itself in how much trust Udoka places in him on any given half-court possession.

Pay attention to Whitmores communication in a stretch where hes asked to defend three different Mavericks and finish the job with a contest.

I just had to be locked in for real, Whitmore told The Athletic .

Sometimes Im in la-la land a little bit, but thats just on me.

I owe it all to my (lack of) effort and laziness, but effort is free.

Its just something I had to do, dial in on it a little bit more and try to get on the floor with that.

Keeping Whitmores effort and engagement consistent when hes not the primary defender is half the battle.

The Rockets coaching staff is well-versed in his on-ball abilities, ranking in the 80th percentile in deflections per 75 possessions, 84th percentile in passing lane defense and 73rd percentile in overall defensive playmaking, all according to Bball-Index.

Combine this with his underrated rebounding ability (7.2 per 36 minutes) and its clear why Houstons defense gives up a stingy 107.8 points per 100 possessions while Whitmore is on the floor.

Its important to remember Whitmore is only in his second season and not a finished product.

At times, his penchant for defensive gambles puts him and the team in precarious positions, causing a domino effect.

But the Rockets dont achieve the leagues second-best defense without taking calculated risks, and Houston forces nearly three percent more turnovers when Whitmore is on the floor, 94th percentile among players according to Cleaning the Glass.

It adds to the guys we already have that do it, Udoka said.

Our steal numbers are so high because of Amen (Thompson), Tari (Eason) and Fred (VanVleet), the guys with good hands and instincts.

Hes become more aggressive on the ball as well, learning when to make a play when a guy is going into a scoring move or his back is turned.

Add him to the list and thats something we need to generate transition baskets.

In his fourth season in the NBA, reserve big Jay Huff has already played more games for Memphis (38) than he did in his previous three seasons combined (31).

Its a testament to perseverance through a long journey, from going undrafted in 2021 to multiple G League and summer league stints before finally finding a home with the Grizzlies this season.

Advertisement But while Huffs most important attribute to Memphis half-court attack is his floor spacing as a center shooting 41.5 percent from 3 on around four attempts per game its what he does before the ball leaves his hand that gives him and the Grizzlies an advantage.

In short, Huffs pump fakes, combined with his acceleration at 7-foot-1, are legit.

His shooting ability definitely opens that up, head coach Taylor Jenkins said.

For a 7-foot-1 guy (who) can run the floor pretty well, a lot of it is in closeout situations.

He makes what we call airtime decisions at a pretty high level.

When we get teams in rotations, he knows when teams are running him off the line he has a dynamic ability to get to the rim in two dribbles.

Just gives us more versatility not just from a shot standpoint, but also the downhill penetration at that size.

Because of Huffs dwindling minutes this month a result of Memphis depth and the gradual return of injured players its easy to look past when Huff goes into his patented move.

But used in juxtaposition with a Grizzlies team looking to push the pace against teams scrambling to get back in transition, its lethal even against Victor Wembanyama, a future perennial Defensive Player of the Year.

The majority of Huffs drives around 60 percent, according to Synergy are to the right, where he scores 0.95 points per chance, good for the 43rd percentile.

But whenever Huff drives left, like in the possession above, that number jumps to 1.30, which places him in the 93rd percentile.

A few things are at play here.

Huff is naturally right-handed, so drives with his off hand can throw defenses off.

Huff is also a quick player for his size and doesnt waste time overthinking.

The two lineups in which Huff is most commonly deployed alongside sharpshooting forward Santi Aldama have scored at a blistering rate.

Per NBA.com tracking data, Memphis is a whopping plus-31.8 and plus-35.3 in 47 total minutes.

Small sample size, yes, but Jenkins has found an in-game formula that works, keeping Huff on the floor in combination with either Ja Morants dynamism or the Desmond Bane/Scottie Pippen Jr.

backcourt.

Advertisement It also helps that more than 90 percent of the time, Huffs drives draw no help.

Most defenders are either shocked a 7-footer would dare put the ball on the floor or dont believe anything effective would result.

And regardless of which direction he drives, Huff is finding plenty of success at the rim, scoring 1.33 and 1.62 points per chance on left- and right-sided drives, respectively.

The key for Huff and challenge for Jenkins and the Grizzlies coaching staff is maintaining a solid defense while hes on the floor.

Halfway through the season, its clear rookie Zach Edey is a more imposing rim protector.

Jaren Jackson Jr.

and Brandon Clarke offer more flexibility and toughness.

But Huffs pump fakes, when used correctly, are another tool for the third-seeded Grizzlies and could be an X-factor in a playoff series.

(Top photo of Cam Whitmore: Alex Slitz / Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.