Cam Reddish Excelling in Sixth Man Role

The 22-year-old is playing the best ball of his young career.

© Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

No Atlanta Hawks player evokes the kind of manic reactions out of fans like Cam Reddish. Since his time at Duke University, Reddish has cultivated a legion of fans and followers who invested in his career like bitcoin. Much to their chagrin, the sensational 22-year-old either sizzles or snaps due to his streaky shooting. 

The sky-high expectations placed upon Reddish are not realistic. For example, there are already rumblings from #CamFam for Reddish to win an NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award this season. But the last 22-year-old to accomplish that feat was James Harden in 2012. Before Harden, former Dallas Mavericks forward Roy Tarpley won the award at 23 in 1988. From there, the list evaporates into a mix of misfit late 20-somethings like a J. Cole concert. 

That's elite company (not the J. Cole concert, the list of young 6MOTY award winners). It's good to be aspirational, but Reddish must consistently play at this level before those conversations even begin in earnest. What he can do is continue to provide the scoring punch and defensive energy the Hawks are lacking from their role players. 

Following the blowout loss in Philadelphia, Coach Nate McMillan said most Hawks players are "taking turns on offense" so they don't step on each other's toes which is affecting their defense. Reddish has a level of confidence and self-assuredness that makes Carmelo Anthony seem reticent.

Reddish is averaging 16.2 points on 46.1% field goals and 43.3% from deep through six games. He has a 54.6% eFG (effective field goal) and 58.1 TS% (true shooting). Compare his production to the rest of the league, and no other player averaging 25 minutes or less is scoring more points per game than Reddish.

Let us not forget about what the 6'8 wing provides on defense. While he often picks up some of the toughest assignments, he manages to grab 1.2 steals per game (tied with John Collins for most on the team). When Reddish is the primary defender, opponents shoot 41.9% from the field (league average was 46.6% last season).

Of course, this is a small sample size. It's not even November yet. The real test will be consistently producing for a prolonged period through the maelstrom of an 82-game season. But Reddish's whole career is a small cross-section. In his first two seasons, he played only 84 games thanks to injuries and the pandemic.

Vikram from The Office summed up confidence wiser than any non-television character I've ever met. “Confidence — it’s the food of the wise man but the liquor of the fool.” Reddish is confident, but he is no fool. He's focused on making the right plays and the extra pass. But the excitement surrounding Reddish is intoxicating if you are not careful.

I don't believe league honors are in the cards for Reddish at this stage of his career. However, if he can stay healthy, he could become one of the most integral players on the Hawks roster. He's a three-level scorer and a matchup nightmare. His instant offense and demoralizing defense provide a failsafe for the team when it struggles. Everyone in Atlanta is rooting for Reddish to reach his full potential. It's not a matter of if, but when it happens for the two-way player.  

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