The Cam Whitmore signing was exactly the kind of move that I had been itching for the Nuggets to make. It was a perfect low-risk flier on a guy who was an elite prospect and has a great athletic profile. There was real hope in signing him to a two-way deal and hoping he could develop in a winning environment and learn from champions.
By now, he has been passed over by multiple teams, and that’s coming after a major draft slide. You’d like to think that he has grown up a little bit and looked in the mirror, realizing that he has to take some accountability for why his NBA career has been a huge disappointment up to this point. Frankly, if he can’t hack it in Denver, he may be running out of chances to prove himself in the league.
Whitmore disappointed in his opportunity
So, it seemed like the stars were aligning a bit, as he came into a Denver situation with a team that was desperate for help off the bench, for an athletic spark, some hard-nosed defense, and scoring; all things he can, at least theoretically, provide.
And with Cam Johnson suffering an injury in game one of the season, the path was truly paved for Whitmore to break into the rotation and prove that he’s worthy of regular minutes for the Nuggets. He got his chance on Saturday night in the home opener against the Pelicans, but sadly, his shortcomings were on full display.
He showed a low basketball IQ, making multiple costly mistakes, including two boneheaded plays at the end of quarters that led to easy baskets for the Pelicans. He also missed both of his three-point attempts, didn’t have an assist, and scored just 4 points in his 11 minutes, while the team was -10.
Whitmore may have already lost his chance with Brazile's breakout
Cam has all the tools, but he continues to look like a guy who’s more concerned with individual success than the team. When the assignment is simply to go get a bucket or go get a stop, he can excel. Unfortunately, in an NBA team concept, there’s a lot more to the game, and that’s where things fall apart.
He was badly outplayed by second-round rookie Trevon Brazile, who came in and helped spark the Nuggets’ comeback with his energy and hustle. He may not have the talent or pedigree that Whitmore does, but the way he made the most of his talent and made his teammates better was impossible to ignore.
I’m not saying it’s over for Cam. He’s young and talented, and this was just one game. But he’s quickly running out of time in the NBA and on the Nuggets. This team is begging for bench help, and he has the makeup to provide it. But so far, sadly, it just doesn’t look like he’ll be able to put it all together and make a positive impact before his chance is gone.
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