Cam Reddish spent most of his time in New York on the bench, a former lottery decide with a profession that was derailing on a crew and coach of in poor health match.
But because the 23-year-old was shedding a season to DNPs, Reddish took solace in his perception that the benching wasn’t about basketball.
“It was tough but at the same time, it ain’t even about basketball,” Reddish informed the Daily News. “It had nothing to do with basketball. It was all the politics, all the favoritism. S—t like that. That’s why I wasn’t too worried about it.”
Reddish didn’t develop on his reply. As the Blazers wing outlined within the interview, he has good causes to concentrate on the longer term, relatively than look again at his frustrations with the Knicks and Tom Thibodeau.
Since he was swapped final month for Josh Hart, Reddish has been a constant a part of Portland’s rotation whereas averaging 30.1 minutes and 13.8 factors. He stepped right into a beginning position due to accidents and earned the belief of coach Chauncey Billups, who stated of Reddish, “I always thought he was very talented but he’s even more talented than I thought.”
“They put a reputation on you [when you get traded twice like Reddish]. What’s wrong? Why is he going from team to team without getting an opportunity?” Damian Lillard stated. “You just don’t know what goes on behind closed doors until you become attached to the situation and it’s our job to encourage him, to speak life into him. Things change and you start to see who they really are.”
On Friday, Reddish scored 14 factors in 35 minutes in a nail-biting loss to the Sixers, the seventh time within the final 9 video games he performed over half-hour. This is after 33 consecutive DNPs to finish his Knicks profession.
“I’m in a completely different place. Now I’m blessed. Not everybody gets another opportunity so it’s refreshing,” stated Reddish, the tenth total decide in 2019. “I got some great teammates. Great staff. It’s real positive around here. Win, lose or draw. It’s not somebody beating you over your head — not that that was happening in New York — but it’s more my style.”
Reddish hinted that Thibodeau’s impatience affected his confidence. With another gamers like Obi Toppin, Thibodeau has been fast to sub out after a mistake.
“I can shoot a shot — and in New York, I feel like I HAD to make it,” Reddish, who will face the Knicks on Tuesday in Portland, stated. “I do know I’m not the one person who felt like that.
“I was putting too much pressure on myself. Now I can relax and play my game. You’re going to see it. The more I’m on the court, the more I’m going to grow and play. I’m happy.”
Trading Reddish additionally labored out for the Knicks, who received their first 9 video games with Hart within the rotation. But Reddish’s one-year tenure in New York isn’t simply thrown away. The Knicks traded a first-round decide to accumulate him from the Hawks final season. Then after Reddish’s worth tanked with the Knicks, crew president Leon Rose needed to connect one other first-round decide to ship him to the Blazers for Hart.
Reddish, a free agent after the season, understood shortly that the Knicks had no plans for him. He performed simply 35 video games in 1 ½ seasons, which was highlighted by a quick stint because the beginning small ahead in November.
“I knew that coming in. I knew there wasn’t really a plan,” Reddish stated. “What am I going to do? Complain about it? No, I was going to make the most of it. I still became a starter at the end of the day. And I just tried to do what I could do with what I was given. And it didn’t necessarily work out..”
Hoping to resuscitate his profession, Reddish stated he anticipated a commerce final month however wasn’t certain because the deadline neared.
“I had an idea. I didn’t know. The way I was being dealt with, the way I was being treated, I didn’t think I was going to get an opportunity,” Reddish stated. “So I was happy and appreciative of it. So I kind of expected it. My agent told me to expect it. But like I said, it was getting late. So I was thinking, I don’t know, I might have to do something else or stick it out to the end.”
Asked about rumors of a battle with Thibodeau, Reddish stated he didn’t talk sufficient with the coach to know if there have been issues.
“I never really talk to Thibs like that. I don’t know,” Reddish stated. “And I don’t really care. I’m here (in Portland) now. I’m trying to put that in the past. Those were lower times in my career so it’s whatever.”
Now he’s now in a greater place — virtually 3,000 miles away in Portland — and either side have been higher off.
“Refreshing,” Reddish stated. “Refreshing and fun.”
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com