Minnesota Timberwolves Draft Profile: Cam Reddish

The most likely member of Duke’s “Big Three” to fall to the Minnesota Timberwolves might be forward Cam Reddish. Would he be a good fit for the Wolves?

Duke University men’s basketball was quite the show to watch this year. Can the Minnesota Timberwolves land any of the best Blue Devils players in this year’s draft?

With Zion Williamson leading the charge, the Blue Devils were arguably the most entertaining team in the country, bolstered by other recruits including R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish.

Out of high school, Reddish was a five-star recruit and was ranked by ESPN and Rivals as the third best recruit in the class.

Over the course of the college season Reddish was the least consistent of the trio of Duke stars yet still solidified himself as a likely early-to-mid first-round pick. A number of mock drafts have Reddish off the board before the Timberwolves will have their choice, but the draft always produces surprises.

Reddish has the potential to be a regular starter and potential All-Star, but for the immediate future will likely be somewhat of a developmental project. This could mean starting should he land on a rebuilding team, whereas a team with designs on the playoffs such as the Wolves would likely have him come off the bench to provide a spark to the second unit.

That may be where Reddish could best impact a team for his rookie season. He certainly needs time to develop into a solid NBA starter, but his skillset could see him as an immediate impact bench player for the time being.

In college, Reddish averaged 13.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals in 29.7 minutes, starting 35 of his 36 appearances. Reddish produced impressive numbers, yet struggled with consistency and ended the season shooting just 35.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Reddish was named to the Wooden Award shortlist during the preseason but finished the season with the third-worst field goal percentage of any player shortlisted since 2013.

It’s statistics like these that may see Reddish fall from his projected landing spot into the Timberwolves’ grasp at No. 11. While I would still rather the Wolves move their pick, whether as part of a trade-up for a higher-ceiling player or in a larger deal that brings back a a solid veteran, a player like Reddish would be interesting to add to the team.

Additionally, the situation in Minnesota could be perfect for the development of Reddish with a season for him to serve as a bench replacement for Dario Saric, and potentially step into his starting role if the Wolves opt against extending Saric’s contract at the end of the season.

With this free agency period being a big one for the Timberwolves, adding a high-potential bench player like Reddish on a rookie contract would be a huge bolster for the roster that could take some of the pressure off the cap space and fill a need the Wolves may otherwise need to spend big money on.

In drafting Reddish, I think the Timberwolves would need to practice patience, giving Reddish a year to develop off the bench and learn the ropes of the NBA before looking at him to take a big step up in his second season.

The dip in production between high school and college for Reddish doesn’t really bother me; he had no time to acclimate as he was tossed right into the deep end and heralded as one of the next big things, right alongside Zion Williamson.

Perhaps he couldn’t deal with the pressure, or he just may have not found his groove. But coming into the NBA, Reddish should be allowed a season to develop, and he certainly won’t be looked at as an immediate game-changer like Williamson likely will.

With less pressure, more support and an established role, Reddish should hopefully be able to flourish into the player he has the potential to.