Cam Whitmore: Slide to Rockets' No. 20 Pick in 2023 NBA Draft 'Didn't Really Faze Me'

After being regarded as a potential high-lottery pick in the 2023 NBA draft, Cam Whitmore had a long wait on Thursday night before finally hearing his name called with the 20th overall pick by the Houston Rockets.

Speaking to reporters after the draft, Whitmore said the slide "didn't really faze me" because it's not the first time he's felt overlooked.

"I'm just really happy to be in the NBA," he added. "I've been dreaming about that all my life."

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman projected Whitmore to go to the Washington Wizards with the eighth overall pick in his final mock draft.

In an aggregate mock draft from HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, the Villanova small forward was projected to be a top-five pick.

Scotto did note there were "rumblings" Whitmore could fall. The 18-year-old even acknowledged leading up to the draft he had no idea where he was going to be selected.

Wasserman reported during the draft that Whitmore's medicals were "creating all sorts of worrying" among teams. It's unclear exactly what the issue might have been. He had thumb surgery before the start of the college season that kept him out for Villanova's first seven games.

Even though Whitmore's rookie deal as the No. 20 pick won't be as lucrative as it would have been if he had been selected in the lottery, the Rockets could potentially be a good landing spot for him.

While there are rumblings that Houston could target players like James Harden and Brook Lopez in free agency, the current roster is still very young with a new head coach in Ime Udoka taking over and trying to find pieces that will make the team better.

Whitmore's shooting touch should allow him to be an early contributor in the NBA. He averaged 12.5 points and shot 47.8 percent from the field in 26 games for the Wildcats last season.