The Los Angeles Lakers made a bold move with their starting lineup on Friday night against the Phoenix Suns, swapping out Austin Reaves in favor of veteran minimum signing Cam Reddish. The move was swiftly criticized, but Reddish proved himself with a 17-point, three-steal performance on 5-for-10 shooting in a thrilling 122-119 comeback win.
The outing from Reddish led to praise from LeBron James, saying that his faith in Reddish is what continues to allow him to swing the ball his way when he’s notoriously struggled as a shooter. It’s a massive change of pace for the young guard/forward, as he has bounced around between three teams without finding a consistent role in the NBA.
Reddish mentioned James’ praise and the Lakers faith in him this offseason as part of the reason he’s going to continue to work hard and stay ready when his number is called, he told reporters on Spectrum SportsNet:
“I was trying to stay ready. LeBron is out there so you have to be ready at all times. I missed one last game so I tried to really lock in on them corner shots. Bron told me he believed in me so I just tried to remember that and shoot my shots with confidence and knocked them down.”
Reddish’s path has been a winding one, and he keeps that in mind every time he steps out onto an NBA court:
“I’ve been through it all. Ups, downs, you name it, I’ve been through it all, seen it all. Different teams. Different roles. So I’m blessed to still be playing basketball in the NBA. I am happy to be here and I’m just trying to make an impact every time I step on the floor. The Lakers gave me an opportunity so I’m just gonna go hard every chance I get.”
Reddish was not expected to play a major role on the 2023-24 Lakers, let alone be a starter in three of the team’s first nine games. However, he has certainly proven that the Lakers made a smart choice when they gambled on him this offseason.
If he can continue this level of play against high-level opponents, Reddish could easily find himself in his first steady role in five seasons as an NBA player.
Move to bench was explained to Reaves as Manu Ginobli role
Reaves was certainly less than enthused to learn that he would be moving to the bench after eight games. However, he became more okay with the decision when head coach Darvin Ham explained it to him as a move similar to what Manu Ginobli did for the San Antonio Spurs dynasty.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!