Cam Reddish adapts his game to his role with the Lakers – Orange County Register

LOS ANGELES – Sixth-year Lakers winger Cam Reddish is making the transition that several NBA players have made before him.

From being a “guy” in high school and college who was a popular offensive option early in his NBA career to a player who needs to play in the role expected of him.

After an early start to his career marked by inconsistency and multiple trades, it appears that Reddish is slowly finding his footing.

Reddish, who made his second start of the season in Sunday’s home game against the Toronto Raptors, was added to the rotation last week because of his approach on the defensive end of the court.

That same approach earned him his first start in Friday’s home win over the Philadelphia 76ers – a game in which Reddish attempted just one shot in 28 minutes.

“Every team is different, every coach is different,” Reddish said after the team’s practice Saturday. “I go out there and do what he tells me. In my previous life, I went out and did what I wanted to do. And that doesn’t necessarily always work.

“So I just go out there, be a star in my role and do whatever I can to help the team win, be it one shot, five shots, 10 shots, whatever. Just try to go out there and impact the game.”

Reddish’s offensive role has diminished his final seasons in the league, which included stints with the Portland Trail Blazers (2023) and New York Knicks (2022-23) after beginning his career with the Atlanta Hawks (2019-22). , after taking the no. 10 pick in the 2019 draft.

Reddish, who is in his second season with the Lakers, entered Sunday averaging 2.3 field goal attempts per game after averaging 4.9, 7.8, 8.3, 10, 1 and 9.6.

“I mean, I didn’t have much of an option,” Reddish said of adjusting his game. “I was constantly being traded. You just learn over the years. It’s a learning experience. It’s a journey. I’m just learning every day.”

Reddish added: “Growing up, I had the ball all the time. So I didn’t know anything else, you know what I mean? But now I’ve been forced to learn and expand my game and it doesn’t happen overnight, but little by little I feel like I’m getting better at it.”

Lakers coach JJ Redick, who played 15 seasons in the NBA, is aware of the development that had to be made.

“I can definitely empathize with him because like a lot of NBA players, in high school you’re the first choice, in college you’re the first choice, and then you get to the NBA, you’re the first choice.” You have a hard time finding a role and you have to figure that out,” Redick said. “And it’s not something that’s so linear.

“You just have to have a long-term perspective and really embrace the things that each team needs to get on the stage. And for us, having a defensive presence guarding the main play and being the main scorer, those are the things that Cam needs to do. I told him at the start of pre-season, ‘Look, we’re going to figure out the offensive part of it and figure out where we can make you feel like you have a role there.’ ‘But point, in order to get on the field you have to be on defense.’ And in the last week he’s really embraced that.”