New York Knicks: Duke basketball’s trio of stars worth an early look

Cameron Reddish

Position: SG/SF
Height: 6-foot-8
Weight: 218 pounds
Wingspan: 7-foot-1

Cameron Reddish, for now, sits behind the other Duke prospects in 2019 mock drafts, but by a mere slot or two.

At his measurables, the Norristown, PA native might need to bulk up throughout the college season or in the pre-draft process, but his frame alone offers intrigue as a swingman; it’s a versatile spot, especially as the NBA trends towards positionless play.

Reddish brings standout play on offense, with the athleticism to attack the rim and find his buckets, mid-range or from long distance. It’s at the detriment of his shooting, which doesn’t have consistency yet due to shot selection, but hardly an underwhelming part of his game.

The 19-year-old freshman can create with the ball, setting up his teammates to make them look better. For perspective, even in weak preseason competition, he broke out for seven assists against Virginia Union as a primary ball handler.

Defensively, Reddish can transition to cover players on the wing. The 7-foot-1 wingspan at least lets him overwhelm players in school and translates to the NBA, but as Trevor Magnotti of FanSided noted, Duke basketball has brought out the worst in high-level prospects, with Jayson Tatum’s subpar defensive year in 2016-17 and the poor look of the 2017-18 squad.

Reddish can act as the unique point guard Frank Ntilikina was supposed to be for the New York Knicks, before head coach David Fizdale moved him off the ball. The former is not pigeonholed as a distributor, either, but he offers combo guard potential in the backcourt.