Cam Reddish

[PatrickYates]

The story on the front page about Reddish is a great read for anyone that is interested. In a nutshell, it reiterates the somewhat prevalent belief that Cam Reddish has the chance to be the best player out of the class. RJ is the best scorer, and Zion looks like a guy that will be a great scorer and rim protector (relative to his position), but Cam COULD be the best overall player, and go number 1, if K helps him achieve his potential. It does mention that he can disappear at times (not really, but a guy this talented should be obvious at all times on the court).
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After a small sample size, I can totally see what they were talking about. He can do everything on the court. On both sides of the ball. RJ and Zion are better scorers and willing passers. Both have been more willing defenders than I'd hoped, or was generally expected. But Cam looks like a guy that could be a lock down defender. And while RJ and Zion are willing passers, Cam looks like a guy that can run a team at a very high level.
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This hasn't been thrown out as a comp yet, but I see the possibility that Cam becomes a Ben Simmons that is also a knock down 3pt shooter. Ben will likely be a better penetrator/finisher at the rim, but not by a wide margin. Conversely, Cam might be as good a 3pt shooter right now as Ben will ever be. And Cam should grow into an elite shooter. Cam will be better as a perimeter defender also. (Side note, while Tre is a better pure PG, Cam's elite size and athleticism make him a better fit in the positionless NBA).
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IDK that Cam will put it all together, either here or at Duke. But if he shows enough flashes this year, Duke is well nigh on unstoppable. I love RJ, but the Mamba comps are dead on. For good and ill. Peak Mamba could play in today's NBA on a title winning team, but post peak Mamba (who won/competed for NBA titles) would today be a guy that put up huge numbers on a team that never really competed for titles. Russ Westbrook or peak Melo. I think RJ realizes that he has to be more inclusive than Mamba was, but it isn't as natural for him as Cam. RJ is a lead option on O, but teams will need incredibly versatile players around him to win titles. Zion, as great as he his, will similarly need great versatility around him, and probably an elite rim protector around him.
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WRT the draft, it is "easier" to find primary scorers like RJ and Zion than it is to find incredibly well rounded and versatile 6-8 pgs. I'd still bet on RJ/Zion going ahead of Cam, and probably having better NBA careers. But the upside of Cam Reddish, in today's game, is INSANE. He could be essentially unstoppable at all levels while scoring the ball, while being a great team runner/distributor, and also guarding 1-4 at a very high level. RJ and Zion are elite scorers. Zion could be an elite defender (of posts) and rebounder (for his position). Cam could be NEAR ELITE at basically every thing on the court. Oof.

 

[jwill133]

Of the freshman, Cam is the biggest wildcard but he does actually have the highest ceiling IMO. RJ is gonna be our best player all season, let’s get that outta the way right now. But, Cam has potential in 4-5 years to be the best pro in this class, and multiple NBA people have said this on various podcasts/ articles.

The reason Cam has a higher ceiling than RJ/Zion is basic. Length and shooting. Cam is longer than them, and should project to be a better oitside shooter than them. Guess what are the 2 most valuable traits in the NBA right now?? Length and shooting.
I'd still draft RJ #1 overall, but I wouldn't be shocked if Cam ends up being better in 5 years.

As far as this year goes though...I don’t think Cam will be as consistent as RJ/Zion. He seems to play a bit more passive than the others, which has been documented for years now. But he’s our best shooter that will be starting and should also give us some 30 point games. Most importantly, he should be able to provide great defense too. The biggest thing we need from Cam is the same defensive intensity during his 8 point games as during his 32 point games.

 

[Showenuff]

Exactly, if you guys are talking NBA, I'm out of the conversation. But THIS year, Cam won't be better than RJ. Put it this way, if he is better than RJ THIS season , we're gonna win the reg season title, the ACC Tourney, The Maui, and the National title.

 

[bullettoothtony]

An article in The Chronicle projected him to average 13.6 PPG.

I think that's too low.

 

[Mac9192]

Cam is a little bit of an enigma. Injuries have taken a lot of attention off of him. I hope he’s similar to Grant Hill.
My hope is they are all wanting to make K happy. If so, then we have a really good shot at playing Monday night in April. The hell with where they might get drafted, or who has the highest ceiling.

After last season, I didn’t think this team would be any different. I couldn’t stand the way that team played. That team never seemed to have ‘it’. To me, it was just a bunch of talented players.

I hope this bunch has a different mindset, and comes ready every game.

 

[Canadian Dukie]

Exactly, if you guys are talking NBA, I'm out of the conversation. But THIS year, Cam won't be better than RJ. Put it this way, if he is better than RJ THIS season , we're gonna win the reg season title, the ACC Tourney, The Maui, and the National title.

I think we win all of those anyway!

 

[hart2chesson]

My hope is they are all wanting to make K happy. If so, then we have a really good shot at playing Monday night in April. The hell with where they might get drafted, or who has the highest ceiling.

I couldnt care less about their NBA careers at this point. I just hope they live up to their expectations as Duke Blue Devils. If they do so, their futures should be fine....

OFC

 

[Showenuff]

oh, don't get me wrong, I hope each and every one of our guys do well in the league, but I hardly care about it nor watch it.

 

[jwill133]

I think this is the best way to sum up Cam....
Cam is gonna be drafted in the top 5 NOT because of his college production.
Cam is gonna be drafted in the top 5 because when he's 23 years old he has the potential to be one of the leading scorers in the NBA due to his size and shooting.

So for those folk who don't care about the NBA, Cam may be a bit of a head scratcher. He's gonna seem passive at times, and probably even give off that "I don't care about college basketball" vibe that Tatum occasionally gave off. Cam is definitely the leading candidate for our anti-OAD group to call selfish and to tell him to pack his bags up and go home if we lose a few games.

But from all the articles I've read, and all the videos I've watched, he's a GREAT kid, and is a massive reason we have RJ and Zion. Plus, when Cam is rolling, we can't be stopped. He's our X Factor, if we get Cam playing at his full potential, they might as well cancel the season and give us the trophy.

Oh, and he could possibly be our best wing defender since Winslow or Jones, that's huge.

 

[QC Dukie]

oh, don't get me wrong, I hope each and every one of our guys do well in the league, but I hardly care about it nor watch it.

I hear you Show. I wish all the guys the best of luck in their careers, but I just don’t care for the nba. It’s brutal for me to watch.

 

[QC Dukie]

I think this is the best way to sum up Cam....
Cam is gonna be drafted in the top 5 NOT because of his college production.
Cam is gonna be drafted in the top 5 because when he's 23 years old he has the potential to be one of the leading scorers in the NBA due to his size and shooting.

So for those folk who don't care about the NBA, Cam may be a bit of a head scratcher. He's gonna seem passive at times, and probably even give off that "I don't care about college basketball" vibe that Tatum occasionally gave off. Cam is definitely the leading candidate for our anti-OAD group to call selfish and to tell him to pack his bags up and go home.
But from all the articles I've read, and all the videos I've watched, he's a GREAT kid, and is a massive reason we have RJ and Zion. Plus, when Cam is rolling, we can't be stopped. He's our X Factor, if we get Cam playing at his full potential, they might as well cancel the season and give us the trophy.

Oh, and he could be possibly our best wing defender since Winslow, that's huge.

Well, since you put it that way......lol

 

[DiehardDukeFan4Life]

oh, don't get me wrong, I hope each and every one of our guys do well in the league, but I hardly care about it nor watch it.

I’m with you Show, I don’t watch the NBA so I don’t really care about what Duke players do once they get to the league. I care about what they do while they’re at Duke. I might watch an NBA playoff game or two if they have former Duke players but that’s about it for me. I haven’t watched the NBA on a regular basis since the late 90’s when the Bulls dynasty ended.

 

[Mac9192]

I think this is the best way to sum up Cam....
Cam is gonna be drafted in the top 5 NOT because of his college production.
Cam is gonna be drafted in the top 5 because when he's 23 years old he has the potential to be one of the leading scorers in the NBA due to his size and shooting.

So for those folk who don't care about the NBA, Cam may be a bit of a head scratcher. He's gonna seem passive at times, and probably even give off that "I don't care about college basketball" vibe that Tatum occasionally gave off. Cam is definitely the leading candidate for our anti-OAD group to call selfish and to tell him to pack his bags up and go home if we lose a few games.

I don’t think what you’re saying is really true about the guys that post regularly. Most fans just want to see true team effort, whether it’s a junior or a oad.
I’ll be honest here, I would rather Cam play more like Ingram or Winslow than Tatum though.

If that means I’m labeled as anti-OAD, then so be it.

 

[jwill133]

I don’t think what you’re saying is really true about the guys that post regularly. Most fans just want to see true team effort, whether it’s a junior or a oad.
I’ll be honest here, I would rather Cam play more like Ingram or Winslow than Tatum though.

If that means I’m labeled as anti-OAD, then so be it.

I never said the anti-OAD posters are people who post regularly. I was mainly referring to the posters who come out of the abyss after a loss, some could be regular posters but most are not.

And also, to each his own, but Tatum was a much better defender than Ingram once Tatum got healthy and in shape. Tatum was actually the best defender on that team, he just happened to play on the most unlucky/poorest chemistry Duke team we have ever watched.
Maybe some of that poor chemistry was due to Tatum, idk, the bits and pieces I've heard is Luke Kennard was the issue with the rest of the team....once Luke saw he had a chance to be a lottery pick, he made it all about himself to make sure that happened.
Oh, and no true PG was the other poor chemistry reason.

 

[Mac9192]

I never said the anti-OAD posters are people who post regularly. I was mainly referring to the posters who come out of the abyss after a loss, some could be regular posters but most are not.

And also, to each his own, but Tatum was a much better defender than Ingram once Tatum got healthy and in shape. Tatum was actually the best defender on that team, he just happened to play on the most unlucky/poorest chemistry Duke team we have ever watched.
Maybe some of that poor chemistry was due to Tatum, idk, the bits and pieces I've heard is Luke Kennard was the issue with the rest of the team....once Luke saw he had a chance to be a lottery pick, he made it all about himself to make sure that happened.
Oh, and no true PG was the other poor chemistry reason.

That’s what I’m basically saying. I never was crazy about Kennard, Tatum, Bagley, or Trent. But I liked Ingram, and he was a part of the least talented team K has had since 15.

Sure we want to win it all every season, but I want to watch kids that seem more into the team than themselves.
That’s what I want to see out of any kid that plays for Duke.
We all hope this bunch resembles more the 15 team than the 17 or 18 team. Or at least I do.

 

[IPSYCHOSIS]

Instead of naming them the anti O&D posters i call them the venters....I’m guilty of it...Probally won’t hear much from me after a win. I mean what am I gonna come and say after a win ? Yay!! We won!....No i will likely say something negative that we need to work on, get called negative, blah blah whatever

 

[IPSYCHOSIS]

Anyway I’m high on Zion being the best pro I mean at the very least you’re getting that motor and athletic ability. He’s out performed all of them thus far in like every aspect! imo.

 

[hart2chesson]

I will always think there was friction between Kennard and Tatum. Tatum took 22 shots vs Elon in Greensboro in December of '16, and Luke was rather pointed in his criticism.

I think the tension boiled over after we won the ACC Title in Brooklyn (March of '17) and Luke was named MVP. Tatum could have just as easily have won it too, and perhaps should have. Made for a tension filled week prior to the nightmare in South Carolina, and Luke wasnt Luke performance wise...OFC

 

[DukefanKY]

At the end of the day, we all want the same thing. We have different opinions sometimes on what is the best formula, or style to capture that "thing", we have different opinions on past and present players, the OAD issue, and even which recruits we want or don't want. I have been as guilty as anyone on leaning towards the defend Duke and challenge the negatives, but I swear there is something about this team. I think maybe the chemistry. That along with the talent. I don't know how many games we will lose, and we will lose some. Hopefully not the next one, but I just have a feeling that this team has a chance to really be special. We have an alpha dog, refuse to lose, elite scorer in RJ, a unique talent in Zion that you just don't see, like hardly ever, and then there is Cam, who hardly anybody but us even talks about. The #2 player in the class, and other fan-bases barely even acknowledge his presence....that's how good this class is. And, we have who I think will be our best point guard since his older brother. Throw in the energy of Jav, the hustle of White, and the shooting ability of AOC and Baker, and my god. What a team!
We are certainly capable of having a bad night and being beat, but on a night that we play our best, I sincerely believe that no other team in the country, on their best night, can beat us.

 

[dukehokie]

I just want Cam to come in and play a relaxed effective game on both sides of the ball. He’s not to type luckily to just watch RJ and Zion like the team did last year with Marvin. He’s going to come in and get his shots. But since most of them will be from the outside, he’s going to be up and down. If he can stay keyed into the game even when his shot isn’t falling (his big “disappears” knock), he’ll be the ultimate 3rd piece to a nasty team.

 

[dachampishere2]

I believe Cam will be the perfect complimentary player. Cam is more like a Jabari Parker when it comes to his attitude. I remember back when Jabari was here, he and Koach did SI together and Jabari admitted that he doesn’t show true skills always because he loved his teammates and want to see them shine so everyone can feel special. I think Cam is that type. That’s probably why he may take a backseat for stretches throughout the game and just play defense. Once he realizes that being himself and playing to his full ability actually helps his teammates even more then he will be special. I believe we could possibly have three 20-point scorers this year. Or Cam may average around 18. These top three will get a lot of the shots and get to the line a lot. I can see two of the 3 getting 20+ every game. I’m just excited about this team. When I saw Zion and RJ faces during CTC it got me hype. They brought a fiery intensity to a intrasquad scrimmage. Just think of how they will bring it against other top teams. That attitude is infectious

 

[dachampishere2]

I just want Cam to come in and play a relaxed effective game on both sides of the ball. He’s not to type luckily to just watch RJ and Zion like the team did last year with Marvin. He’s going to come in and get his shots. But since most of them will be from the outside, he’s going to be up and down. If he can stay keyed into the game even when his shot isn’t falling (his big “disappears” knock), he’ll be the ultimate 3rd piece to a nasty team.

Think he will drive and get to the line a lot this year. I don’t see him as one that really forces outside shots. If he has space he will take it but he likes to attack close outs

 

[dukehokie]

The only reason I want to pump the brakes on thinking we’ll have 3 - 20 point scorers is that since 2010 (essentially the OAD era), the ACC has had two 20 point scorers in the same season (2015-2016 Grayson and Cat Barber) once. And since 88-89, only one team has produced multiple 20 ppg players in the same season, Georgia Tech. They did it in 88-89 and 89-90. The 89-90 season was the only season where three guys scored 20+ in the ACC

It’s possible, and those three will have to do the bulk of the scoring for sure, but it’s going to be tough to get 20 ppg from three freshmen one of which is an outside shooter who is bound to suffer from some efficiency issues at times. But I could easily see all three over 15 with maybe two (RJ and Zion) at or around 20.

 

[dukehokie]

Think he will drive and get to the line a lot this year. I don’t see him as one that really forces outside shots. If he has space he will take it but he likes to attack close outs

In 5 out, he will definitely have space. But the majority of his shots will come from others’ penetration, which usually means more outside buckets. He’ll get his though, he’s just not terribly efficient yet.

 

[IPSYCHOSIS]

Think he will drive and get to the line a lot this year. I don’t see him as one that really forces outside shots. If he has space he will take it but he likes to attack close outs

1 lets hope he can make those FTs because yea.... 2 You dont see him as one that forces outside shots????? I must have been seeing sh!t again

 

[Showenuff]

IPSY. Be nice, and use your inside voice.

 

[dachampishere2]

1 lets hope he can make those FTs because yea.... 2 You dont see him as one that forces outside shots????? I must have been seeing sh!t again

I forgot who I’m talking to. When I say force shots I mean him just coming down off the dribble and launching jumpers. It may happen a few times but he’s more so looking to advance the ball. Majority of his 3s are in the rhythm of the offense

 

[Mac9192]

Maybe this bunch can help Duke do something too that hasn’t been done since 2010, and that’s win the regular season.

That’s a long time for a program like Duke.

 

[Showenuff]

I don't think that UVA defense is gonna keep RJ and Zion out of the paint.

 

[jwill133]

I don't think that UVA defense is gonna keep RJ and Zion out of the paint.

Agreed. However, the consensus with UVA's D is you gotta make 3's in order to beat them. That's why we have beat them 4 outta the last 5, we always have great 3 pt shooting teams. Last year, we did not have a great shooting team, and we lost.
UVA hasn't ever seen a duo like RJ/Zion though so I don't even think it matters, we should still dominate inside.

 

[IPSYCHOSIS]

I forgot who I’m talking to. When I say force shots I mean him just coming down off the dribble and launching jumpers. It may happen a few times but he’s more so looking to advance the ball. Majority of his 3s are in the rhythm of the offense

Smh

 

[IPSYCHOSIS]

IPSY. Be nice, and use your inside voice.

He has a gift man ...gets blood pressure going heheheh ok

 

[dachampishere2]

Smh

One day you’re going to learn this game called basketball. Never would’ve thought I would have to explain what a forced shot is on a basketball forum. Act like you know hahaha

 

[IPSYCHOSIS]

Not taking that bait...I’ve been known to show my asz far to much ....I’m trying to be better !!!

 

[Showenuff]

champ , just quit dude.

 

[bullettoothtony]

The only reason I want to pump the brakes on thinking we’ll have 3 - 20 point scorers is that since 2010 (essentially the OAD era), the ACC has had two 20 point scorers in the same season (2015-2016 Grayson and Cat Barber) once. And since 88-89, only one team has produced multiple 20 ppg players in the same season, Georgia Tech. They did it in 88-89 and 89-90. The 89-90 season was the only season where three guys scored 20+ in the ACC

It’s possible, and those three will have to do the bulk of the scoring for sure, but it’s going to be tough to get 20 ppg from three freshmen one of which is an outside shooter who is bound to suffer from some efficiency issues at times. But I could easily see all three over 15 with maybe two (RJ and Zion) at or around 20.

Great info.

If I can give ranges, I think R.J. will be somewhere around 21-23 PPG, Zion 18-20 and Cam 16-18.

 

[Showenuff]

I'll throw out RJ 24-25 ppg Zion 18-20 ppg and Cam 14-16 ppg.

 

[jwill133]

RJ 22 ppg (I think he would be higher, but I anticipate some blowouts this year which will hurt his numbers). Zion 17.5 ppg, Cam 16.5 ppg.

 

[bullettoothtony]

I'll throw out RJ 24-25 ppg Zion 18-20 ppg and Cam 14-16 ppg.

I will certainly say numbers like that for R. J. wouldn't remotely surprise me.

 

[MyDudeG]

I understand why his supposed passive approach to the game would be looked at as a negative when projecting him in the upcoming draft, but I actually think it will be a positive for our upcoming team. It’s been stated over and over again how much we love the Mamba mentality seen in RJ. The problem is that if we had multiple guys with the same mentality, that could potentially lead to chemistry issues and stagnant offense consisting of a lot of iso ball. The fact that Cam seems fine with letting the game come to him should benefit both our offense and overall team this season.