Which of Portland’s trade deadline additions could be a late-blooming star?

Wing 3: Why Cam Reddish could be a potential star in Portland

For a time, Cam Reddish was considered a better prospect than his Duke teammates Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett. He had a more projectible frame and a more complete skillset at lower levels, and although he was inconsistent as a Blue Devil, he was still a lottery pick.

Just like Knox, however, Reddish has not found a consistent NBA role, leading to him cycling through Atlanta, New York, and now Portland. A lot of Reddish’s issues come on offense, where he will have some scant flashes but more frequent misses and miscues.

His defense and all-around contributions are also fairly lackluster, as he isn’t a plus wing defender or rebounder.

As a scoring specialist who can’t score efficiently, it’s understandable that Reddish hasn’t solidified a role in the NBA yet. Of all the players that Portland acquired at the trade deadline, however, Reddish has the highest upside.

He still shoots a clean ball from deep, uses his lanky arms to score from creative windows, and might be the most naturally athletic player that Portland has outside of Shaedon Sharpe. In his first few games with the Blazers, Reddish has teased fans with glimpses of his lofty ceiling on O:

That’s not to say that Reddish has played much differently than he has before; rather, he’s finally hitting his shots from inside and outside of the arc. This version of Cam, where he rains shots from deep and attacks the basket in transition, is one that the Blazers need in order to add a new wrinkle to their offensive gameplan.

Due to the possibility of some extra untapped upside and the surprising start to his Portland tenure, Reddish is a potential steal for the team and represents their best developmental small forward on the roster.

If he gels well with Lillard, he could even emerge as a late-blooming star and cash in the massive expectations placed on his shoulders before he left high school.