“Resembling Cam Reddish. So full of potential but never given a real chance to develop.”
These are lyrics from J. Cole’s “Pi” from his mixtape “Might Delete Later.” While the raps were spectacular, like most of the music coming from the genre, it’s an exaggeration and fabrication of reality.
I don’t know when J. Cole wrote these lyrics, but they would have been most appropriate in November of last season.
That was the best month for Reddish as a Laker last year, averaging 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. His best stretch during that month was a four-game span in mid-November, where he averaged 15.3 points and 3.3 rebounds. He also had the best plus-minus on the team, +8.3.
It looked like maybe the Lakers struck gold by taking a flyer on the 2019 lottery pick, putting him in a scenario where his best qualities could shine.
However, Reddish not only regressed to the mean, he had the worst season of his career. He averaged 5.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and one assist per game and his season was constantly interrupted by an ankle injury.
Due to his dip in performance and inability to stay healthy, Reddish only participated in 48 games for the Lakers.
With a mediocre season and a player option available, Reddish opted in this summer and has returned to Los Angeles. So, what can fans expect from him under coach JJ Reddick?
What is his best-case scenario?
If you are an optimist, Reddish’s best role on a good Lakers team is around 15-23 minutes, double-digit points and flirting with a 40% average from 3-point range.
In this scenario, with limited minutes, Reddish can produce decent offensive production and can bring some intensity off the bench with timely jumpers or the occasional dunk.
Defensively is where he can truly stand out and give the team a solid backup on-ball defender. All teams who aspire to succeed need as many of those as possible and if Reddish can be one of them, even in limited play, it’d be a huge help.
He understands his ability to stay in the NBA will revolve around doing the little things that impact winning and he embraces that role.
What is his worst-case scenario?
If you are a pessimist, Reddish will continue to teter between underwhelming and frustrating, being average at best and unplayable at worst.
He’ll likely still play, but it will be reduced to one or two shifts per game. He could even be taken out of the rotation if players like Max Christie, Dalton Knecht and Maxwell Lewis outplay him.
The other factor in Reddish’s minutes will be Lakers head coach JJ Redick. We don’t know how high or low he is on him yet. If he’s low, maybe he doesn’t even get minutes initially and has to fight for a spot on the roster from the jump.
If other players get a chance to play first, I find it hard to see how Reddish can crack the rotation and significantly impact this team.
What is his most likely role on the team?
In life, I am an optimist. Regarding Reddish, I’m selling all 2024-25 stock at a reasonable price. He’ll be better than last year’s career lows, but not enough to move the needle.
His role will be minimal unless he starts to break out or injuries force Redick to use him more than he’d like.
Simply put, we’ve seen Reddish play for five seasons on five different teams. He is who he is at this point.
The Reddish Cycle has been the same at every stop. Excitement for what he can become, confirmation bias from a couple of good performances, disappointment when he regresses and, ultimately, letting him go once you realize the best-case scenario is just a fantasy.
