Despite the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in their penultimate preseason game, the Los Angeles Lakers should feel encouraged about where they are before the start of the 2023-24 season.
The Lakers were shorthanded as they decided to rest LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt, but Anthony Davis and the rest of the crew went to toe-to-toe with the Bucks in the first half. Darvin Ham then opted to play the reserves in the second half which ultimately led to the loss.
However, the extra repetitions did wonders for the rest of the roster, most notably Cam Reddish, who made his return to the lineup after dealing with a sprained ankle. After a shaky debut, Reddish looked much more under control and even made plays on both ends of the floor.
After the game, Ham had high praise for Reddish. “Man, Cam looked great,” Ham said. “He’s out there gassed a little bit which is to be expected, but he’s another high-level player.
“Skilled player, can shoot it, can guard, really competes on that side of the ball, the defensive side of the ball. Able to handle, get downhill, finish, so it was good to see him out there tonight giving contributions and look forward to seeing more of him.”
Reddish played 21 minutes and scored 10 points and pulled down five rebounds to go with one steal. He led the team in shot attempts with 11, converting four of them though he looked confident in the flow of the offense.
The young swingman has been unable to realize his potential as a former lottery pick, but his showing against Milwaukee may have earned him a longer look before the start of the regular season. As of now, it seems like Max Christie has an edge on him for rotation minutes, but the competition certainly seems closer than originally anticipated.
With one more preseason game on Thursday against the Phoenix Suns, Reddish will have a chance to really push for minutes with another strong performance. This Lakers roster is deep, so Reddish will have his work cut out for him.
Cam Reddish feeling comfortable in Los Angeles’ system
Reddish clearly looked like someone trying to fit in when he suited up for Los Angeles for the first time, but his second game was much better in just about every facet. Reddish later acknowledged that he’s feeling much more comfortable in the system.
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