Getty Cam Reddish of the New York Knicks reacts during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
October 19 proved to be an exhilarating opening night for both the Grizzlies and the New York Knicks, as their hard-fought bought saw incredible late-game heroics take place for both parties and an ultimate venture into overtime.
In the end, however, it was the home team that scraped out the victory, as Memphis came away with the game-one victory over the Knickerbockers.
Now, despite the loss and obvious disappointments that come with it, their opening contest proved to have several bright spots, with perhaps the brightest of the bunch being the impressive production put forth by Cam Reddish.
The fourth-year wing was given an extended run on the night thanks, in large, to the absence of sophomore guard Quentin Grimes and wound up making the most of his increased opportunity.
Logging 28 minutes off the bench, Reddish finished the game with a stellar stat line of 22 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and a block on 60% shooting from the floor and 50% shooting from deep.
But perhaps the most awe-inspiring play from his performance came in the final seconds of the fourth period, where the 23-year-old extended out past the left corner of the three-point arc where he received a swift bounce-pass from a driving Jalen Brunson, splashing in the shot that would tie up the game at 108 apiece and force overtime.
Unfortunately, the five minutes of extended play beyond regulation that came as a result were ultimately for naught, as the Knicks wound up losing 115-112, but for Reddish, the contest easily proved to be his best individual performance since being traded to the franchise back in January.
And while fans and media pundits were all pleasantly surprised by his escapades, for Reddish, it was simply just a reminder of what he can provide to a team’s rotation.
Knicks Wings Said it ‘Felt Great’
Per an October 20 piece by SNY, writer Ian Begley reported on post-game discussions that were had with Cam Reddish. In the media session, the wing noted that his “think less” approach to the night played a major part in his high-end level of play.
“Trying not to think so much, Just hoop. It felt good,” Reddish said after the game via SNY.
Since landing with the Knicks back on January 13 of last season, the wing has struggled mightily to live up to his lofty draft status of being selected 10th overall back in the 2019 NBA Draft. However, a night like this against the Grizzlies, it’s a great reminder of the kind of potential he possesses if put in the right situation.
Later on, during the post-game media session, Reddish would insinuate that his lackluster production since arriving in New York was heavily impacted by trying to adjust on the fly to a new system after being traded from Atlanta, but noted that this game against the Grizzlies was a way of proving to himself that he’s “still got it.”
“Obviously being traded midway is tough, new group of guys, new everything. Just trying to find my way, be aggressive, be assertive and make the right play,” Reddish said. “… Let me say it like this: I know what I can do. I wanted to make sure I still got it.”
Despite coming off the pine, Reddish finished as the second-leading scorer on his team behind only Julius Randle’s 24 points and as the third overall on the night, with Grizzlies star Ja Morant leading all players with 34.
Memphis Veteran Praises Knicks Big
Leading into Wednesday night’s contest, Memphis Grizzlies veteran Steven Adams discussed comments made by Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau about how fourth-year center Mitchell Robinson is the best offensive rebounder in the game.
Adams, a stout boarder-getter himself on this side of the ball, couldn’t help but feel that there may be some serious merit to the headman’s words, and even went as far as to agree with him on the matter.
“Probably, yeah probably,” Adams said when discussing whether Robinson was the best offensive rebounder in the NBA, via Begley. “The dude’s really good, man. Positioning, tipped balls all that. He’s solid.”
Last season, Adams was the only player to average more offensive rebounds per game than Robinson, as he brought down an average of 4.6 per night in comparison to the latter’s 4.1.