Stillwater wrote:If Cams work ethic and passion for the game were there any more than a typical ( I already am great mentality) prima like Wiggins then he should have shown it in college but just like wiggins he didn't drive the hype train into Legitville in college but instead kept riding the coattails of his HS hype... I just don't see him putting it all together even if his biggest struggles were based on the core muscle excuses.
I have to agree to disagree.
Illmatic12 wrote:Reddish is someone who came into college with the opposite perception of what he actually is - he is what I would consider a “high floor, low ceiling” prospect.
While he has a lot of issues with consistency, I do think his defensive ability and the way he’s able to fluidly guard smaller players will earn him multiple NBA contracts.
Reason why I worry his ceiling may be capped is bc he doesn’t have elite level athleticism or instincts to impact the game in multiple ways when his contested shots aren’t falling. Obviously, Cam does not like contact and isn’t much help as a rebounder. There aren’t many great wing players who are “soft” and that lack of physicality/toughness will be limiting in terms of being able to slide him to the 4 in different lineups. Had he been like an Otto Porter or RoCo and had a nose for rebounding you could project him as a versatile small ball PF.
The on-ball creation stuff he was doing and killing everyone in HS certainly hasn’t translated to higher levels. ATM he isn’t meeting the threshold of explosive burst, strength, craftiness to be an NBA primary/secondary creator - and again he is more of a 3 than a small ball 4, so matched up against other SFs he won’t be quick enough to get past a lot of the guys guarding him.
Really what the Hawks ought to do is look at a player like Trevor Ariza as a model for Cam. If he just becomes comfortable firing catch+shoot 3s and guarding his man, no question he can have a 10+ year career.
I 95% disagree with most of your takes on Reddish. I never really have came close to seeing what you see on him. It's about as large as how I disagreed with Stillwater last year on Trae Young. He said he is trash and Trey Burke 2.0 and I said is a generational offensive weapon. Now, he still doesn't agree with me but he at least has moved from the easy bust statements.
I actually kinda agree with your start. I too felt in the wrong situation, you are looking at a high floor, low ceiling prospect. I agree with that part and said as much even in recent posts to Stillwater. You can't use him for something he ain't. You have to play to his strengths. That highly revolves around personnel and system. In a situation like the Knicks or Cavs, I would worry about Reddish. For the Hawks, Warriors or Rockets, especially Warriors and Hawks, he is in the optimal situation. That's the difference. I felt in the wrong situation, you are talking about an extremely talented flawed prospect, in the right situation, the best player in the NBA like ability.
Athleticism is comparable to Lonzo Ball which is a GOOD and BAD thing as Zo proved his athleticism doesn't really translate in the half court offense but completely translates on defense. In general, he would have a capped potential. It's not so much that he doesn't like contact, he is just not good dealing with contact. He doesn't have the athleticism or strength to handle traffic or contact well and like Crawford and Ball, is overly finesse and crafty which doesn't work in the NBA all that well without space. It does with space of course.
isn’t much help as a rebounder. There aren’t many great wing players who are “soft” and that lack of physicality/toughness will be limiting in terms of being able to slide him to the 4 in different lineups. Had he been like an Otto Porter or RoCo and had a nose for rebounding you could project him as a versatile small ball PF.
I actually think is can be a good defensive rebounder for position. Coach K wanted him to commit to transition a lot and had Tre, Zion and R.J. crashing the boards who are all ++ and defensive rebounding for position. Even Bolden is a good rebounder as well. We must remember, he averaged 7 RPG in EYBL. That matters and has proven to translate. He spends a lot of time on the perimeter on offense so offensive rebounds will always be on the low end.
I will say he is not soft on defense but he does lack physicality at times but during the 2nd half of the season, we seen him take a major step up in terms of post defense and being tough. Michigan State game for example, Cam was Duke's best defender and Duke without Cam defensively in the two games he has missed as been a mess. When the games got big, his defense was great. Best defender during both the ACC and NCAA tournament. While I am not a big fan of switching him on 4's with the strength he showed last year, I do think long term he should be fine at it as we seen with Ball. I see him as a 2/3, with one 1 in him. I don't really see a 4 at all other than switchablilty. He really isn't a 4. Those two played PF in college. It's kinda of unfair to have that expectation but I get it, if we are looking at the typical 3/D wings, they all have PF experience while Cam has been a primary guard or a 3 for the most part.
The on-ball creation stuff he was doing and killing everyone in HS certainly hasn’t translated to higher levels. ATM he isn’t meeting the threshold of explosive burst, strength, craftiness to be an NBA primary/secondary creator - and again he is more of a 3 than a small ball 4, so matched up against other SFs he won’t be quick enough to get past a lot of the guys guarding him.
This is not a good statement. His on-ball creation stuff has translated. He is one of the best isolation players in the nation at Duke and he was unstoppable in space. The issue was, college basketball, Duke's spacing, personnel grouping and role. To say it hasn't translated is just wrong. This is equivalent to Stillwater's hot take that Trae Young won't be able to effectively score throughout his career in the NBA last year. I don't know how you can say that. If you think this, then you are clearly going to miss on Reddish. 100%. I personally think the entire paragraph is off. He is explosive in space which is what the tape shows. His strength is obviously an issue but it's something he can and will improve on as we seen with most college to pro prospects. It's not like he doesn't have a NBA elite body for his positions. he is the most crafty prospect in this class, wtf are you talking about? I am not sure what you are saying if you have watched him or not.
Really what the Hawks ought to do is look at a player like Trevor Ariza as a model for Cam. If he just becomes comfortable firing catch+shoot 3s and guarding his man, no question he can have a 10+ year career
I am going to put this on the same list with Trae Young being Trey Burke 2.0 and some saying he is a Black Jimmer. Trevor Ariza couldn't even shoot 3s out of college and was primarily a slasher. He didn't have any of the skills Reddish has, 3pt volume much less high end variance.
Bad takes:
Zion is the modern Rodney Rogers before college.
Trae Young is Trey Burke or Jimmer
Cam Reddish - Trevor Ariza.
Cam Reddish is going to be the 1st Cam Reddish. Just like Zion, he doesn't have a prototype.
Being elite in space like Jamal Crawford is rare.
Being a prospect who has 3pt volume and 1st round talent is rare. We got Klay Thompson who had that volume out of college.
Being a prospect with high end 3pt variance is more of a new thing in the NBA so we really don't have a catalog but him, Tyler Herro, Marshall Henderson, and Darius Garland. The list is small as it's new to the NBA much less college hoops.
Being a prospect who has movement skills and at least a prong isn't all that common for a prospect with 1st round talent.
He isn't your typical 3/D and I don't think he will ever be but he is a rare prospect if used correctly could be the best player in the NBA and if used incorrectly can be a tough piece to add to most puzzles.