Cam Reddish is Revitalizing His Career with the Lakers
The 24-year-old is shaping up to be an offseason steal for the purple and gold
At the beginning of the season, many Lakers fans expected Cam Reddish to succeed in his role on a larger stage. 13 games in, he’s done that and more.
Reddish’s Red Hot Impact
Cam Reddish has been known as an athletic 3-and-D wing throughout his four-year career. After coming to LA, it was assumed he’d play a smaller role behind LeBron James and Taurean Prince, used more in spurts than as part of the regular rotation. He’s proven many people wrong, however, embarking on a great run for the Lakers and stepping up amid injuries.
Reddish is currently averaging eight points, nearly three rebounds and one assist per game on .432/.359/.800 splits. His first start came against the LA Clippers on Nov. 1, when he recorded eight points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block — all while guarding Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Since then, Reddish has done just enough to positively impact the Lakers. Prior to Friday night’s win against Portland — when he recorded eight points — Reddish had a four-game streak of double-digit scoring, including an 18-point performance against the Trail Blazers on Sunday, Nov. 12.
Reddish’s stats as a starter are nearly identical to his overall production — 8 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 1.7 SPG in 24 minutes per game. However, his ability to close out games has been equally impressive. After missing the game-winning three against the Heat on Nov. 6, Reddish redeemed himself with a clutch triple against the Suns in LA’s In-Season Tournament Debut. He finished with 17 points on 5/10 shooting from the field and 5/8 from three, and spoke afterwards about the importance of staying ready:
Reddish has been one of the bright spots in LA’s 7–6 start to the season. He’s provided plenty of production as a reliable 3-and-D wing, and has begun to meet (and exceed) expectations under Head Coach Darvin Ham. Ham raved about Reddish in a recent postgame press conference, noting how he’s thrived as a Laker so far:
“When we were going through the process of signing him, my thoughts were just that the kid had never had any stability. It started off OK in Atlanta but then he goes to New York, goes to Portland, and again, he burnt us good when I was in Milwaukee…He’s always stuck with me, and watching him at Duke before that as well, I just thought he’s still a very young player with tremendous upside. Just thought we could provide some of the stability and opportunity that he needed.”
Reddish’s Role Going Forward
The Lakers are expected to have Jarred Vanderbilt back shortly, leading to questions about Reddish’s status once Vando returns.
If Reddish’s play continues trending in the right direction, it’s likely that he’ll remain the starting wing next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis — which is notable if Vando begins the season off the bench. However, if Vanderbilt eventually starts at power forward and James moves to the wing, Reddish will still find success in his typical backup role. This recent resurgence has done him well, and the 24-year-old could easily slide back into the second unit while remaining a top scoring option.
Overall, Reddish has turned heads in LA so far, making significant contributions to a title contender. It remains to be seen if his production changes with the team at full strength, but Reddish has flashed his talents early on, showing that he’s arguably one of the steals of the offseason.
