Our Atlanta Hawks player goals series continues with a look at rookie Cam Reddish’s 2019-20 season.
When the Atlanta Hawks drafted Cam Reddish at #10 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, there was a fair amount of rejoicing among Hawks fans. After having the vaunted “top-3 recruiting class” Duke basketball team on television constantly throughout the NCAA basketball season, Reddish and his teammates Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett were high atop the list of “most wanted” for Atlanta’s basketball squad.
Furthermore, Reddish seemed to be the best fit for the team as a rangy, slashing wing with spot-up shooting and ballhandling ability.
Let’s explore goals for Reddish in the 2019-20 season.
Prove Himself
This first one might be a tad bit generic, but in the end, Reddish’s freshman year at Duke was something of a disappointment, especially when compared to the meteoric feats of Williamson and steady scoring of Barrett. Obviously, both players acquitted themselves better than Reddish, leading to him falling the farthest in the draft. This makes him something of a man of mystery, but if he can regain his high school form (which made him a better-ranked prospect than Zion), the Atlanta Hawks will be in great shape.
Hit the Three-Ball Consistently
Due to the ball-dominance of Zion, Barrett and Tre Jones last year, Reddish was often relegated to being a spot-up three-point shooting specialist. With a 61.8 percent three-point attempt rate, Reddish was only able to connect on 33.3 percent of his downtown attempts. In order to stay on the court next year, Reddish must improve on that meager clip. With a gorgeous form, one would imagine that being a distinct possibility.
Run the Second Unit as Lead Ballhandler
One of Reddish’s talents in high school was running his team’s offense as the lead ballhandler. With three other ballhandlers on Duke next to him, Reddish was relegated to attacking closeouts or cutting off movement – leading to some ghastly turnovers and myriad travels. Reddish should focus on his on-ball game next season, hopefully leading to a full-time gig as Trae Young’s backup.
Our player goals series will continue, so stay tuned!