2019 NBA Mock Draft: RJ Barrett moves back to No. 2
player. 142. . F. Duke. Cam Reddish. 9
What a long way Reddish has fallen since October. It wasn’t for a lack of opportunity. All year, Duke was clamoring for another playmaker to step up when RJ Barrett’s shot wasn’t falling or Zion Williamson was getting too much attention. Reddish actually could have shown more when it comes to NBA skills than Barrett had he been effective in his role. Most teams, especially in the back half of the lottery, are thrilled to find a 3-and-D wing with All-Star upside.
Now, there’s a question of whether he’ll ultimately land in the top ten. Reddish didn’t check off the 3 or D parts of the archetype he was seemingly born for at the NBA level. Making a third of your 3s and grabbing just 2.5 percent of steals isn’t getting it done for such a skilled and physically gifted prospect.
The warning signs run deeper than that. Reddish also had nearly 100 turnovers to just 70 assists and made only 77 percent of his free throws. Duke’s offense was nearly 15 points worse per 100 possessions when Reddish was on the court despite him being the starter most of the year, playing with Barrett and Williamson a ton. The defense was 3 points worse, which means altogether, Reddish’s presence made Duke 18 points worse per 100 possessions despite coming to school as the No. 3 2019 recruit.
Whew. His floor on draft night is probably still only No. 10 because once you get down here, Washington or New Orleans will want to snatch a talent like Reddish, buying low or not.