Rich Paul offered his perspective on the uneven NBA career of his client Cam Reddish during the latest episode of Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul, pointing to a combination of mental pressure, draft dynamics, and circumstance rather than a lack of talent.
Paul framed his assessment by recalling Reddish’s early scoring ability and physical tools, noting how easily offense once came to the 6-foot-9 forward. He suggested that the first shift occurred in college, where Reddish joined a loaded roster at Duke Blue Devils alongside future NBA stars Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett.
“I think Cam, again I watched this kid score 50 of the easiest points,” Paul said. “Me and Mav were together and Mav was like, ‘Damn that looked easy. 6’9, fluid, but when he got to college, he got there and he was there with RJ and he was there with Zion. So he was kind of like the third guy that could do something mentally to you. Just mentally right? Confidence, our game is 90% mental. When you get to the NBA everyone is uber talented.’”
Paul continued by describing how the pre-draft process compounded those challenges. Reddish entered the 2019 NBA Draft widely projected as a top-five selection but ultimately fell to No. 10, landing with the Atlanta Hawks, who had already selected De’Andre Hunter at No. 4.
“That part happens, then you go to the draft right?” Paul said. “All this whole time, this is why I don’t really love mock drafts. You’re looking and you’re supposed to be a top five pick. Well you go 10, and not only do you go 10, you go 10 to a team that just took a player that’s from your city or from your area that you were supposed to be ranked better than the whole time, in front of you at four. De’Andre Hunter went four. So now you got two guys who play the same position on the same team, and then you get traded.”
Rich Paul points to draft slide and early instability in Cam Reddish’s NBA career
Article Continues Below
Atlanta Hawks forward Cam Reddish (22) is defended by Philadelphia 76ers guard Seth Curry (31) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center.
© Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Paul emphasized that some players require more than opportunity to stabilize early in their careers, particularly amid constant roster churn.
“Some guys need, along with the opportunity, a little TLC,” he said. “They need a little TLC, and the problem with the NBA is, or any league for that matter, but especially the NBA, there is a draft every year. The higher you go in the draft, the higher the expectation and right away.”
Reddish’s professional path reflected that instability. Over six NBA seasons, the 26-year-old appeared for the Hawks, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Los Angeles Lakers, where he spent two seasons alongside LeBron James. Across 254 career games, including 116 starts, Reddish averaged 8.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and one steal per game while shooting 39.8 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from three-point range in 23.1 minutes per contest.
Following his final NBA season with the Lakers in 2024–25, Reddish continued his career overseas, recently playing for BC Šiauliai in the Lithuanian Basketball League, as Paul’s comments reframed his trajectory as one shaped by circumstance as much as performance.