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NBA Rookies Who Were Just Starting to Prove Themselves



Cam Reddish, Atlanta Hawks

Hot streak to close season: 12 games

Stats during streak: 15.9 PPG, 48.9% FG, 40.3% 3PT

There isn't a measure to assess confidence except for the eye test, and it's detecting a different level for Cam Reddish since February.

His recent surge highlights the benefits that come with allowing rookies to play through mistakes. Reddish looks far more comfortable and decisive with his shot selection. Consequently, he's executing at a much better rate, putting together super-efficient scoring outputs over his last month: 22 points on 14 shots against the Charlotte Hornets, 28 points on 11-of-17 against the Washington Wizards, 26 points on 9-of-14 against the Brooklyn Nets.

Shot-making has always been Reddish's bread and butter, and that's propelled this streak. Over the final 12 games, he averaged 2.1 made threes and a variety of slick mid-range jumpers. For the season, he was at 43.9 percent on medium-range jumpers, per Synergy Sports.

But he also started to show more ball-handling shake off the dribble than he did at Duke, when the offense ran through Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Tre Jones. Reddish often played point guard in high school, and though playmaking won't be part of his package early in Atlanta, more creativity is appearing on hesitation drives, off-the-dribble footwork, and pull-ups and step-backs.

Defensively, there was always a lot to feel good about with Reddish's positional tools, foot speed and anticipation. But his scoring versatility was coming to life before the hiatus hit, and previous concerns about his offensive game were quickly fading.

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As the season went on, he adjusted his routine to help adapt to the NBA — it wasn’t rocket science, just more sleep, more treatment, more film-watching, Reddish said. And, of course, more advice from Vince Carter, who helped him steady and take the “wet noodle” out of his shot. 

“My first couple months, I didn’t even have a routine, I was still trying to figure that out,” Reddish said. “As time went on, I kind of figured it out, what works for me, and as it got toward the middle of the season I kind of figured it out, settled in and got a little more comfortable on and off the floor.”

His offense came with time, but in retrospect, Reddish is grateful for that setback, since it made him key in on defense from the get-go. Before his shot started to fall, that’s something he could hang his hat on. 

“I think that’s why it was so tough at the beginning of the season, just trying to get my rhythm and my flow and stuff like that,” Reddish said. “It was a pain in the butt for a little bit, but I think everything happens for a reason, so I thank God for it. I think it made me a better defender, a better athlete. So it worked out for me.” 

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As the season went on, he adjusted his routine to help adapt to the NBA — it wasn’t rocket science, just more sleep, more treatment, more film-watching, Reddish said. And, of course, more advice from Vince Carter, who helped him steady and take the “wet noodle” out of his shot. 

“My first couple months, I didn’t even have a routine, I was still trying to figure that out,” Reddish said. “As time went on, I kind of figured it out, what works for me, and as it got toward the middle of the season I kind of figured it out, settled in and got a little more comfortable on and off the floor.”

His offense came with time, but in retrospect, Reddish is grateful for that setback, since it made him key in on defense from the get-go. Before his shot started to fall, that’s something he could hang his hat on. 

“I think that’s why it was so tough at the beginning of the season, just trying to get my rhythm and my flow and stuff like that,” Reddish said. “It was a pain in the butt for a little bit, but I think everything happens for a reason, so I thank God for it. I think it made me a better defender, a better athlete. So it worked out for me.” 

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Lloyd Pierce wrote:I call him Cam Motherf—— Reddish because I think he’s a bad man. I think he’s really going to turn out to be something extremely special. I want him to have the toughest mentality. I want him to think he’s the greatest player in the NBA. I want him to believe it because he’s got an opportunity with this potential, his skill set, his size, his confidence, he’s got an opportunity to really do something special. I’m trying to really bring that out of him. He’s a young guy. He’s only 20 years old. It’s scary. But we all want it now. That’s the challenge, but I’m going to be patient with him. I’m also going to challenge him to get the most out of everything he has.

I know this isn’t a fair comparison, but based on how Cam Reddish performed during his rookie, where would you rank him in this draft?

Really, the only player I would have over him is LaMelo Ball. Dynamic lead guards are so valuable in today’s game, and Ball is going to walk into the league and immediately be one of the top distributors. Out of the wings projected in the lottery, I wouldn’t take Anthony Edwards, the projected top pick, over Reddish. Deni Avdija, Isaac Okoro and Devin Vassell are all solid, but I don’t see star potential for them. I still see that in Reddish if he reaches his highest potential outcome.

His shot is obviously his biggest unknown. If it doesn’t come around, he’s not a threat off the dribble, and the spacing, especially while playing with Clint Capela, is quite bad, and there’s a chance the offense could look clunky. If he gets to league average from 3, I do see him being an excellent pick. Those I trust believe he’s such a hard worker that he’s going to improve as a shooter.