Cam Reddish NBA Draft Projections: Mock Drafts for Duke Guard

cam reddish duke

Getty Cam Reddish is expected to land inside the top five in the 2019 NBA draft.

Cam Reddish is one of the best players in college basketball…as long as he’s not playing Jim Boeheim and Syracuse’s patented 2-3 matchup zone. In two matchups with the Orange, the star freshman for Duke has combined to score just 12 points on 4-for-18 shooting.

The 6-foot-8, 218-pounder will need to return to form tonight against rival North Carolina in the ACC Tournament semifinals (9 p.m. EST, ESPN). He was a bright spot in the Blue Devils’ two losses to the Tar Heels, scoring 27 and 23 points.

The former McDonald’s All-American is averaging 14 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists a game. The production on a potential NCAA Tournament 1-seed has boosted his NBA Draft profile.

Let’s take a dive into his prognostications, as well as mock drafts and big boards.

Cam Reddish Draft Projections & Mock Draft

Jeremy Woo of SI.com lists him as the No. 4 overall prospect on his most recent mock draft. Despite the high ranking, he calls Reddish “frustrating” due to a percention that he coasts “on his reputation.”

True to form, Reddish remains one of the most frustrating college prospects to scout after two wholly unconvincing months. He has continually floated around the perimeter as Duke dominates lesser opponents, content to shoot volume threes and looking tentative and unconcerned attacking the basket. While Reddish’s all-around talent appears in spurts and continues to tease NBA evaluators, there is a growing level of frustration around the league with his poor play, particularly in his role at Duke which neatly positions him to succeed.

Woo continues by saying that his upside in athleticism and natural game still makes him a top-5 talent.

Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype shows in his aggregate mock draft that Reddish is a consensus top-5 pick over several outlets.

Our own Jon Adams has the Blue Devil forward going No. 4 to the Chicago Bulls in his most recent mock draft. He stated that “Cam Reddish’s size and versatility makes him another Blue Devil likely to be selected with a high pick.”

Cam Reddish NBA Draft Big Board Rankings

Aran Smith’s NBA Draft Net is one of the few that has docked Reddish a few spots on his draft board, moving the forward down to No. 7 overall.

ESPN has him as the top-rated small forward and No. 4 player on its draft board, saying he just needs to combine his vast potential with consistent effort.

Strengths
– Outstanding size, length and fluidity for a wing prospect. Glides to the rim. Excellent frame with considerable room to fill out.
– Versatile offensive attack. Smooth ball handler who can create offense out of pick-and-roll or isolation. Strong vision for a wing. Can play off hang dribbles. Capable standstill shooter with time and space. Has the most natural talent of any player in the draft.
– Effort needs to improve but has the tools of a versatile defender.

Improvement areas
– Goes through the motions at times. Extremely inconsistent overall. Too willing to settle for contested jumpers. Struggles to play through contact. Willing to blend in. Confidence fluctuates.
– Not a consistent defender. Effort fluctuates. Shies away from physicality on that end.
– Flat-footed perimeter jumper. Can stand to speed up his release. Career 30 percent 3-point shooter on 260 attempts, according to our database.

He very much looks like a one-and-done. While most scouts notice that he hasn’t been fully tuned into each game, he typically shows up in high-profile matchups. That includes North Carolina tonight.

With the Blue Devils looking to avoid the season sweep, and Zion Williamson drawing attention from defenders (presumably for a whole game should his shoes remain intact), Reddish should be motivated and unabated to perform in front of a national audience.