The league recently conducted their annual rookie survey, and if the youngsters know what they are talking about, Hawks fans will be extremely pleased with their two top ten picks. Cam Reddish was a clear #1, receiving almost 20% of the total votes when asked which rookie will have the best career. De’Andre Hunter finished third with just over 10% of the vote. Ja Morant was second at 16% and RJ Barrett, Zion Williamson, Jaxson Hayes, and Coby White each received 5%.
What the hell is this???? pic.twitter.com/YV7AzlE4bx
— BUCKETS (@NBA_BUCKETS) August 19, 2019
Reddish underperformed in the shadow of Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett at Duke. He embraced the role of the third fiddle, taking a step back for the good of the team, something Travis Schlenk and the Hawks looked upon fondly in the draft process. Reddish was also dealing with a core muscle injury during the season that he had a minor procedure on in June. The issue is what kept him out of Summer League.
Although, the shooting numbers were rather abysmal in his freshman season. Reddish has a unique build and skill set that is tailor-made for today’s NBA. It’s part of the reason why he was a more highly-touted recruit than Zion Williamson coming out of high school. At 6’9″ with a wingspan of over seven feet, there isn’t much on the floor Reddish cannot do. He has the athleticism and slashing ability to attack the basket, a smooth jumper from anywhere on the floor, and the ability to guard all five positions. Lloyd Pierce even said during Summer League that the Hawks plan on using Reddish at the point this season. He’s a matchup nightmare that has a sky-high ceiling, and the fellow members of his draft class agree.
Hunter is a similar type of prospect. A rangy wing that will immediately be able to boost a defense that was one of the worst in the league last season. His specialty on the offensive end as of now is spot-up shooting, making his threes at a 43.8% clip on his way to a national championship for Virginia. Hunter was also ranked as the second-best defender in the class by a large margin – behind only Matisse Thybulle of the Philadelphia 76ers.