Cam Reddish's 2019 NBA Draft Scouting Report: Analysis of Hawks Pick

The Atlanta Hawks have selected Cam Reddish with the No. 10 pick in the 2019 NBA draft. 

Though it couldn't have been the season he was hoping for, scouts still saw through most of Reddish's inefficiency and inconsistency. A point wing in high school, Reddish was forced into an off-ball role at Duke behind Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Tre Jones, and he had some trouble adjusting and finding a rhythm. He didn't plummet down draft boards, however, as Reddish's talent and projected fit point to a more effective pro than college player.

Quick hitters

Size: 6'8"

Weight: 207.8 pounds

Wingspan: 7'0 ½"

Reach: 8'9 ½"

Pro comparison: Nicolas Batum

Offensive strengths

The draw for Reddish starts with his shooting as a 6'8" wing. Playing mostly a spot-up role at Duke, he buried 2.5 threes per game, demonstrating an easy release from NBA range. In flashes, he gave scouts a taste of his specialty shot-making off pull-ups or fallaways. Fluid when maneuvering off the dribble, he was also highly effective on a small sample size of pick-and-roll ball-handling chances, having generated 1.11 points per possession (96th percentile). 

Offensive weaknesses

Reddish had a lot of trouble converting under pressure or in tight windows. He shot just 20.6 percent on guarded catch-and-shoot opportunities and 47.3 percent at the rim, where he showed poor feel in terms of adjusting and finishing against rim protection. The scouting report is clear: Run Reddish off the three-point line and make him put the ball on the floor. And despite playing some point guard in high school, he finished with 96 turnovers to 70 assists at Duke.

Defensive outlook

Reddish's defensive outlook is bright, thanks to a size, length and quickness that's built for guarding wings and forwards. But he also demonstrated impressive reaction time and anticipation—resulting in 1.6 steals per game—as well as the ability to close out and recover. He'll still need to be coached up, but his defensive versatility, playmaking and general coverage should make him a two-way player.

Rookie-year projection

After Reddish shot 35.6 percent at Duke, his NBA coaching staff won't count on him as a reliable rookie starter. We'll likely see a similar player from this past season: one capable of burying threes and making plays defensively, but not an efficient scorer or distributor. 

Projected role: Three-and-D starter

Paul George comparisons out of high school now seem inaccurate. A more realistic, optimistic trajectory has Reddish becoming a top three-and-D forward with secondary creation ability. Ideally, he's a fourth scoring option who can play to his strengths as a shot-maker, though spending time as a third option could give him a chance to expand his shot creation.

Stats courtesy of Synergy Sports, Sports-Reference.