On July 15, Beijing time, in the NBA Summer League, the Rockets defeated the Wizards 109-91, Whitmore had 25 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals and 1 block, shooting 9 of 15. After the game, the Houston Chronicle revealed that Whitmore could be out of the Summer League.

According to a person with knowledge of the Rockets' thinking, the team is interested in letting Whitmore play in those two summer league games, just as they did with Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. last season, when the two also had their rookie seasons and played well in the Rockets' first two Summer League games.

Whitmore said he would be understandable if the Rockets let him play only two Summer League games. However, he said that it has not yet been formalized. The Rockets will play back-to-back games against the Pistons on Tuesday. "It's okay," Whitmore said, "we're still talking about it, we'll see." Whitmore had 20 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals in the opening game against the Lakers.

Against the Wizards, Whitmore gave many wonderful dunks, and the fans' desire for him to participate in the dunk contest is getting louder and louder. After the game, he also responded to the matter. "I want to be an All-Star and then I'll be in the slam dunk contest," Whitmore said, "and if I'm an All-Star, I'll be in the slam dunk contest the same year." ”

Rockets summer league coach Jackson praised Whitmore and also offered advice. "He's very good at scoring points in fast breaks, but in positional battles, sometimes he gets into trouble. It's part of his development that he needs to know when to use his talent to score and when to pass the ball to his teammates. ”

Whitmore also revealed that both Stone and Udoka have spoken to him, and they don't really care about Whitmore's scoring ability, and they want the youngster to create opportunities for others through his aggressiveness.

Whitmore also needs to continue to refine his shooting skills, shooting just 1-of-9 from three-point range in his two games in the Summer League and shooting 35.9 percent from three-point range in his rookie season.

The good news is that he and Shepard have already developed a good chemistry and the pair are expected to play side by side on the bench for the new season. Shepard contributed 22 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals in this game, and was the best rookie in the summer league so far.

Reflecting on his partnership with Whitmore in the game, Shepard said: "When he's close to the basket, you just have to pass the ball and he'll always catch it. He's an incredible athlete and he's probably going to have to get 10 dunks in this game. ”

Are you optimistic about Whitmore and Shepard for the new season? Feel free to leave a message to express your opinions.