Reacts Results: Cam Reddish Satisfactory, Not Wowing Blazers Fans

Portland Trail Blazers faithful and NBA fans alike weighed in on their impressions of Cam Reddish’s debut for Rip City, and whether that warrants cementation in the starting lineup moving forward.

A resounding 86 percent of those polled gave Reddish a respectable grade of either B or C for his 11-point performance in Portland’s 10-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 10.

Reddish followed that up with a dud in their next game, producing five points on 2-8 shooting from the floor. Those polled had these two performances to assess when grading his impression.

Yet in self-saving fashion, the former Duke Blue Devil scored 18 points in Portland’s most recent game against the Washington Wizards, albeit in a 25-point loss. He showed off his offensive capabilities and efficiency to back it up, going 7-12 from the floor and 4-7 from three-point range.

We additionally polled readers on whether or not Reddish should remain the starting small forward for head coach Chauncey Billups.

Reddish did not receive the majority of the vote, as only 46 percent of those who chimed in favored him staying alongside Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkic in the front court.

To put things in perspective, Reddish has taken 10 or more shots in four games this season. In those four contests, he has not shot below 53 percent from the floor. He also has not shot under 40 percent from beyond the arc. To make matters even better, he’s recorded a steal or better all four times.

Remaining in the starting lineup may not allow Reddish to get up 10 or more shots per game which would result in efficient and high-volume scoring, as well as a boost in morale that will trickle down onto the defensive end.

Josh Hart averaged 7.1 shot attempts per game with the Blazers but was still able to get his. The difference being, Hart played fast in transition and attacked the rim off of cuts and slashes in the half court.

Reddish’s game is different from Hart, and would likely be more conducive to coming off the bench, where he can be the primary scorer on the second unit, and have ample time to put the ball on the floor and create his own shot. He’ll look to build on his 18-point game when the Blazers travel to Sacramento to take on the Kings after the All-Star break on Feb. 23.

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