NBA: Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of Duke's Cameron Reddish

The Duke Blue Devils have three talented basketball players they hope will lead them to a National title in March. NBA franchises that have no shot at an NBA Title, in 2019, are salivating at the opportunity to add either Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett or Cameron Reddish to their roster.

Each one of these Duke University standouts fit the desires of general managers in the NBA well. Players between 6’6 -6’11 with speed, length, ball-handling skills and who can shoot and are able to defend multiple positions are at a premium. Cameron Reddish, like his two teammates, fits these resume requirements very well.

Reddish, a 19-year-old freshman at Duke University is a 6’8, 218-pound shooting guard/small forward. He is ranked the second or third best prospect for the June 2019 NBA Draft. Reddish is from Pennsylvania.

He played basketball, at Haverford High School, in Delaware County, Pennsylvania for his freshman year. He also attended Westtown High School after transferring from Haverford, in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Reddish has also represented the USA men’s under -19 team winning a bronze medal at the FIBA under 19 World Cup, in 2017. Reddish has also played in the McDonald’s All-American Game, in 2018.

Reddish committed to attending Duke University. At the moment, Reddish is averaging 14.5 points per game, 1.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game. He has been shooting 39.2% from the field and 36.5%, from behind the three-point arc. He has scored 20 points three times in Duke’s first ten games.

Reddish scored 22 points in his Duke debut, on November 6th, 2018 and his highest scoring game was November 11th, 2018, when he scored 25 points against Army. The Duke Blue Devils are 9-1 this season, as Duke, looks to dominate March Madness winning the national title in 2019. Cameron Reddish will have a significant role to play in that desire. We look now, at the strengths and weaknesses, of Duke’s, Cameron Reddish.

Reddish’s Strengths

Reddish, at 6’8 218 pounds, sports a 7”1 wingspan. It means he can guard multiple positions mainly shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards. He is the prototypical NBA player that most general managers covet today. Reddish is long and is a good ball handler. Just like his teammates, Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett, Reddish can advance the ball the length of the court.

A naturally right-handed player he uses his left-handed dribble well to set up finishing, with his right hand, when he attacks the basket. Defenders will need to make a mental note not to overplay Reddish’s left hand to avoid getting beat on crossovers moves back to his right hand. Reddish has good quickness beating his opponents off of his first step. He gets to the basket, with ease off of the dribble and finishes well.

Reddish will help an NBA team that likes to space the court offensively as he is able to catch and shoot. He can make the three, as well. Reddish currently shoots 36.5%, from three-point range for Duke. Reddish also shows good awareness. He often makes good passes to advance the ball quickly, in transition. Reddish also makes the extra pass, in half-court sets, getting teammates open shots.

Defensively, Reddish averages 2.1 steals per game. His length is a problem for opponents clogging up passing lanes.

Reddish’s weaknesses

Reddish is 6’8 and 218 pounds. At the NBA level, he will want to add a few pounds and muscle to ensure he’s strong enough to handle the NBA grind. Reddish can connect from three-point range.

However, he tends to be streaky. He will want to work on shot repetition to make sure his long-range stroke is more consistent. In his ten games for Duke, so far, Reddish is only shooting 39%, from the field, overall. He will need to be more selective with shots he takes. Reddish will also need to improve his shooting stroke, in the NBA, to maximize his scoring efficiency. Currently, Reddish averages 12 field goal attempts per game.

In his last two games, against Yale and Hartford, Reddish has shot 6/24, for 33%, including 1/14, from three-point range. In his last 5 games, Reddish has committed 16 turnovers and averages 2. 3 turnovers per game. Reddish only averages 1.9 assists per game. He will need to cut down on the mistakes to improve his assist to turnover ratio.

With January 1st, 2019, fast approaching, March Madness is about three months away. At which point, Cameron Reddish, Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett, will all be on the national stage with all eyes focused on their every move. The Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns are currently the front-runners to draft anyone of Duke's three teenage stars who are eligible for the 2019 NBA Draft. Cameron Reddish may get selected third in June.