In 2022, most pre-draft reporting pointed to Duke’s Paolo Banchero as the preferred pick of the Rockets. Thanks to late drama involving the picks in front of them, he wasn’t on the board for Houston.
This time, in 2023, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone picked the player who appeared to be his pre-draft man: 20-year-old Amen Thompson, who could slide in as Houston’s point guard of the future.
Later in the first round, Stone added a surprise of his own: the selection of Villanova forward Cam Whitmore at No. 20. A few days earlier, Whitmore was believed to be in competition with Thompson for Houston’s higher selection.
Both Thompson and Whitmore are expected to debut for the Rockets in the NBA’s 2023 Las Vegas Summer League in July.
In a virtual press conference after Thursday’s draft, here’s what Stone told the media after emerging from his Toyota Center war room. Stone, Thompson and Whitmore will hold an in-person press conference on Monday afternoon.
Rafael Stone 2023 NBA draft reaction
Rafael Stone on Amen Thompson: "He seems to be a very mature young man. He's very serious about his craft, very dedicated. I think he's been very well prepared by his family for the journey he's about to take."
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) June 23, 2023
Rafael Stone on Cam Whitmore being on the board at 20 and if #Rockets have any health concerns:
"No, we don't. Cam did his physical in Chicago, every team had access to it. We were very comfortable with it. Knock on wood, I think he's well positioned to have a very good career."
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) June 23, 2023
Rockets GM Rafael Stone said the Rockets were trying to move up to get Cam Whitmore. Said they were more active than in the previous drafts when they actually made deals that turned out to be unnecessary.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) June 23, 2023
Rafael Stone on if any of the #Rockets draft picks tonight will impact 2023 free agency decisions:
"No."
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) June 23, 2023
"He seems to be a very mature young man, very serious about his craft, very dedicated. I think he's been very well prepared by his family for the journey he's about to make," #Rockets GM Rafael Stone on Amen Thompson. pic.twitter.com/iXRwG8wIK7
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) June 23, 2023
Rafael Stone: "We feel like we got two really talented guys. We improved the potential of our team on a going forward basis. Today was a really good day."
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) June 23, 2023
"We were actually really active in this draft, it just didn't result in anything. Mainly b/c Cam (Whitmore) was dropping (& we wanted him) & we got him," – #Rockets GM Rafael Stone. "Today was a really good day," Stone added about getting talents like Amen & Cam. @SportsTalk790 pic.twitter.com/gc8M0qofoS
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) June 23, 2023
Rafael Stone says they were active, maybe more active than in any other draft, but they couldn't get anything done. They were trying to move up to draft Cam Whitmore
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) June 23, 2023
Rafael Stone on Cam Whitmore: "I was shocked that he slid outside the lottery. We feel extraordinarily lucky that he was there for us to take." #Rockets
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) June 23, 2023
Rafael Stone on Amen Thompson: "I don't know that anybody that has come through our gym has ever been a more impressive athlete."
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) June 23, 2023
More Stone on Whitmore:
"Now it's entirely on him to be the player I know he can be, and he knows he can be." #Rockets
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) June 23, 2023
"We're athletic. We can jump. We already were & we doubled down. It's never a bad thing to be a hyper athletic team," – #Rockets GM Rafael Stone on the team w/ the additions of Amen Thompson & Cam Whitmore.
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) June 23, 2023
Stone: "I think Amen has a chance to be really special. The things he does lends itself to winning basketball."
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) June 23, 2023
#Rockets GM Rafael Stone on Cam Whitmore – "He came in & looked great. He worked out in Santa Barbara, looked great." Again, said he's not sure where the reports (on his medicals) came from, but the team is not concerned at all.
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) June 23, 2023
“We always intended on trading up to get Cam,” said Houston Rockets GM Rafael Stone. #Rockets #Sarge
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) June 23, 2023
