2019 NBA Mock Draft: Tankers beware
147. . G/F. Duke. Cam Reddish. 7. player
For a generation of basketball fans who have been dazzled by James Harden stupefying defenders with an unguardable step-back 3, Reddish is going to be the best prospect in forever.
He scored 19 points in the 2018 Jordan Brand Classic, and bombed 11 shots from deep. The fact that he only made three of them is unimportant to our conversation here. The evolution of the step-back 3 might be making its way into college basketball, through the long arms of Cam Reddish. Get ready for chants and Twitter hashtags talking about “let Cam be Cam” if Coach K tries to get in the way of this incredible scorer doing things his way.
In all seriousness, that reliance on the 3 can hurt come college players. It will be another layer of manipulation Coach K has to deal with trying to make Reddish work on a roster that will also feature three other top-10 draft candidates. If Reddish can use the threat of that shot to attract increased defensive attention, attack closeouts and dish back out teammates, the learning experience will help him. If he wanders through games looking for his shot, there may be cause for concern.
We already know we will see Reddish take on Romeo Langford of Indiana next season, as well as Kentucky’s Keldon Johnson. Those battles may define his season. Not only must he play well, but those games will be opportunities to show that this experiment at Duke will work, and that he made the adjustments necessary to win.