When he was the No. 10 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Cam Reddish was expected to become a star, or at the very least, a valuable player that teams would love to have on their roster. But within a few years, many conceded that he had become a bust.
He joined the Los Angeles Lakers prior to last season as a free agent, and although he started in 26 of his 48 games, he failed to show any real improvement, especially on the offensive end.
In Monday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons, Reddish didn’t score a point or even take a shot in 14 minutes of playing time. But when he was on the court, the Lakers started to clamp down on Detroit after trailing by as many as 20 points, and they managed to come as close as five points at one time in the fourth quarter. He was a part of that defensive effort that at least gave them a chance to come back and claim victory.
Guard Austin Reaves praised the forward’s effort while saying Reddish “can be a major piece” for the team.
Reddish showed a bit of promise last season in terms of being able to apply defensive pressure on the ball, especially in the backcourt. But his lack of offensive skill and ability to hit open 3-pointers will make it difficult for him to earn playing time.
Still, he was by far L.A.’s leader in plus-minus on Monday at plus-10. With forward Jarred Vanderbilt still working his way back from offseason foot surgery, perhaps Reddish will get his number called a few more times over the next week or two as the team looks to find itself.