Cam Reddish isn’t worried about lack of playing time with Knicks
It seems like it was a long time ago but it hasn’t even been two months since the New York Knicks traded Kevin Knox to Atlanta in exchange for Cam Reddish and Solomon Hill, who was waived a few days later.
After recovering from a sprained ankle that he suffered from while he was with the Hawks, Reddish made his Knicks/Madison Square Garden debut on Jan. 23 against the Clippers. He scored two points and pulled down two rebounds in five minutes.
Reddish didn’t play the following night against Cleveland but played in 10 minutes against Miami on Jan. 26. Two nights later, the 22-year-old recorded another DNP after New York lost to Milwaukee.
The product out of Duke has played in 12 games for New York and has racked up a total of four DNPs. When asked about his lack of playing time on Tuesday, Reddish said that he’s well aware of what he’s capable of.
Cam Reddish on his lack of consistent playing time with the Knicks:
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 1, 2022
"I'm in the gym, the rest will handle itself. I know what I'm capable of on the floor." pic.twitter.com/REuI5HReXX
Cam Reddish isn’t worried about his lack of playing time with New York Knicks.
Around this time last year, Reddish injured his right Achilles and missed the final 42 regular-season games for Atlanta. He was inactive for the first round playoff series against the Knicks and in the semifinals against the Sixers.
Reddish played in four games in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Bucks and averaged 12.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. That includes a 21 point performance (5-of-7 from the 3-point line) in Game 6.
In the 34 games that he played in last year for the Hawks, he averaged 11.9 points and shot 40.2% from the field and 37.9% from the 3-point line.
Reddish is young and he has value but Tom Thibodeau is in no rush to up his number of minutes. The thing about Thibodeau is that he’s stricter on his younger players than his older ones and Reddish’s situation proves that.
When the Knicks traded for him, fans were thrilled, although it seems like it was all for nothing given Thibodeau’s misuse of the wing.
With New York, Reddish is averaging 5.5 points and 1.1 rebounds per game. He’s shooting 38% from the floor.
Against Philadelphia on Wednesday night, Reddish played in 23 minutes which is the most that he’s played since joining the Knicks. He finished with seven points (3-of-6), two rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
The thing is though that when Reddish is on the floor, he spends the majority of his time in the corner not contributing in the way that he should. Per usual (like with Obi Toppin), Thibodeau’s style of coaching is hurting Reddish.
Reddish’s four-year, $19.3 million contract will expire after the 2022-23 season and he’ll then become a restricted free agent.
Hopefully, Reddish will be able to stay healthy and thrive under new leadership next year. It’d be great to get to see him and RJ Barrett on the court together more often. Hope is all but lost for New York but it’s not too soon to dream about next season.
