Through Rookie Struggles, Reddish Finds a Rhythm Against Nets
The line between assertiveness and restraint is a difficult one for rookies to walk, and Cam Reddish’s attempts most always veered too far to one side or the other. Early in his career, Reddish has struggled to balance being aggressive with playing under control. He’ll go through stretches of extreme passiveness before periods of great recklessness, without ever quite figuring out how or where he fits in. The result has been one of the most damaging rotation players in the NBA and worst offensive rookie seasons this millennium. Wednesday night against Brooklyn, however, Reddish seemed more comfortable than ever with his place in the offense, and as a result, more dynamic.
The 20-year-old’s upside has always been based on flashes rather than real production; his case for stardom relies on extrapolating single moments over an entire career. But in those flashes lie glimpses of promise, if only Reddish could show them more consistently. Wednesday night was his brightest flicker yet. He played by far the best game of his choppy young career, finishing with a career-best 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting while gracefully meshing confidence with sound judgment. “It’s good to see Cam really come out and play with aggression and make shots, and really take over the game for a stretch,” Lloyd Pierce said after the game. “We need that energy, we need his confidence, and playing like that was really refreshing and good to see.”
With De’Andre Hunter out of the lineup and Kevin Huerter on a 15-minute limit, the Hawks needed Reddish’s energy and shot-making more than ever against Brooklyn. He opened up the floor for Trae Young and Atlanta’s bigs with a career-high four 3-pointers, which he later leveraged into driving lanes and transition buckets. Reddish tends to barrel recklessly into crowds and lose the ball, but on Wednesday, he glided smoothly into the lane and finished plays that typically result in turnovers:
Simply seeing the ball go through the net can do wonders for a young player’s confidence, and Reddish’s disposition seemed to shift once his shot began to fall. “I hit my first two, I was just feeling confident throughout the entire game,” Reddish said. “My teammates were finding me for open shots and I was just able to knock them down.”
Perhaps the most striking statistic from Wednesday’s game was that, despite taking 17 shots and working so often as a secondary creator, Reddish did not turn the ball over. He seemed to actually be reading the defense in real time rather than predetermining moves or attacking without a plan. That’s a tricky equilibrium for a rookie to find; players must think the game, but not to the point that they’re taken out of their comfort zones. Overthinking has been a challenge for Reddish, and as missed shots and turnovers piled up, he became visibly overwhelmed by just how much he had to process on a given play. “I feel like I was in a rush a lot in previous games,” Reddish said. “So [I’m] just trying to slow down, play my game, play at my pace, and not be sped up.”
Through ceaseless repetition and watching film, Reddish has worked hard to acquaint himself with NBA speed. Most every rookie takes time to make that adjustment, but nearly all of them reach a point at which the game finally slows down. Reddish isn’t all the way there yet. In the process of learning in such a fast-paced environment, he tends to overcomplicate things. He’ll try to shake his man with intricate moves when a decisive dribble would do, or spin through multiple defenders with a teammate readily available for a pass.
Usually, Reddish’s best opportunities come from making the simple play. “It’s a simple game,” Pierce said. “Punish the defense because they made a mistake. And the more we move the basketball, simple plays we make, defenses will continue to break down.” Pierce and his staff have worked hard to get Reddish to trust in that approach. They encourage him to look for the open man when extra defenders come rather than wiggling out of trouble by himself, and have excised the move Pierce calls “The Tornado” – a source of many a wasted possession earlier in the season:
The rookie has also worked on his balance and timing on jumpshots, and while his 3-point shooting still sits below 25 percent, his form and footwork have become more consistent. On non-gamedays, Reddish spends most evenings at the Hawks’ practice facility refining his mechanics, and spends extra time after shootarounds working with coaches or shooting with fellow rookie De’Andre Hunter.
Reddish isn’t the only rookie in the NBA, or on the Hawks, to have floundered early in his career. Young went through a similarly fruitless and frustrating spell this time last year before breaking out into an All-Star candidate. Reddish may not have quite that sort of leap in his future, but he does have Young to offer guidance and support through his struggles. One strong showing against the Nets won’t cure all that ails Reddish; he may not play a better game all season. But it could offer him an idea of how he fits in and what it takes for him to succeed. “It’s about locking in,” said Young. “It’s about being ready to play each and every game, doing the same thing in his pregame routine. Keeping doing it over and over again.”
