Geniuses that are about to disappear: The former three great men at Duke have not realized their talents in 6 years and have been unemployed for 5 months.

Talent is like a shooting star, dazzling when it crosses the night sky, but it may also fall quietly

In the high-profile NBA draft in 2019, when Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett were selected as the No. 1 pick and No. 3 pick respectively, another young man with the same talent fell into a long wait. Cam Reddish, once one of the "Duke Three" along with Zion and Barrett, was not selected by the Hawks until the tenth overall pick.

At that moment, the smile on his face could not conceal the disappointment in his heart, as if it foreshadowed his bumpy NBA journey in the future.

Going back a year ago, Reddish was still a nationally renowned basketball genius. On ESPN's high school player list, he ranked third, second only to Zion and Barrett, and was one of only four high school players in the current class with a total rating of 96 points.

In high school, Reddish studied at Haverford School and West Side School. With the top physical fitness among his peers, he performed very well on the court. He averaged 26.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and was elected Pennsylvania Mr. Basketball.

At that time, Reddish was 2.03 meters tall, with a wingspan of 2.16 meters. He had a standard NBA wing figure. He was a typical ball-handling style, with comprehensive skills and unlimited glory. Many ball commentators regarded him as an "enhanced version of Paul George" and predicted that he would have a bright career future.

In order to pursue his championship dream, Reddish made a bold decision: to join Duke University together with Zion and Barrett and join the old coach K. This decision also paved the way for his subsequent role positioning.

At Duke, Reddish had to transform from a ball-holding core in high school to a 3D wing. His ball rights and tactical status were greatly reduced, and the limelight was completely overshadowed by his two teammates. In 36 games at Duke, Reddish averaged only 13.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, shooting only 35.6% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range.

His state was up and down, sometimes shining and sometimes dim. He could score 22 against the University of Kentucky and 6 points against UNC. In the key game against Michigan State University in the eighth round, Reddish played 37 minutes and made only 2 of 8 shots. He missed all 2 three-pointers and only scored 8 points and 4 rebounds.

Despite the prediction that the draft pick would decline, the Hawks still selected Reddish with the tenth pick. This was a gamble. The team management took a fancy to his talent and believed that he could become an All-Star striker with both offense and defense like McGrady and George.

Reddish's NBA debut was perfect: against the Spurs, he started for 29 minutes, made 4 of 6 shots, 3 of 3 three-pointers, and scored 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. However, in the next 5 games, he averaged only 5.2 points per game, shooting as low as 23.5% from the field, and an even dismal 18.7% from the three-point range.

The fans quickly gave him the humiliating nickname-"Ice Shooter".

In two and a half years with the Hawks, Reddish has never been able to fulfill his talent. In his rookie season, he shot 38.4% from the field and 33.2% from three-point range; in his second year of career, he shot 36.5% from the field and his three-point shooting percentage dropped to 26.2%. It has become his norm to be inconsistent in one game or ten games, with poor shooting and outrageous mistakes.

At the beginning of 2022, the Hawks sent Reddish to the Knicks. Under Thibodeau, his life was even more difficult. The stubborn old coach didn't like to use newcomers. What's more, Reddish's defense was very poor, so he was DNP for a long time and could only play in garbage time. A year later, Ray Disch was traded again. Compared to the Knicks, the Trail Blazers' growth environment was relatively relaxed. He also took the opportunity to hand over a report card of 11 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.2 steals. His three shooting percentages were: 44.3%, 31.8%, and 83.3%. The statistics were not bad.

However, due to the deep-rooted image of the past, Reddish was completely ignored during the offseason. Just when he was about to leave the NBA, the Lakers offered an olive branch. A two-year basic salary of 4.63 million was handed to Reddish. This was almost the last ditch effort of his NBA career.

When people are cornered, they often burst out with amazing energy. In the Lakers, Reddish had a highlight performance. At the beginning of the season, his average data per game reached 15.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 steals, shooting 53.7% from the field, 52.4% from the three-point range, and 85.7% from the free throw. Even James couldn't help but praise: "I know Reddish." We believe in his ability! He can shoot and defend. He was once one of the best high school students in the United States. His talent will never disappear! "

Especially in a mid-season game against the Suns, he scored 18 points on 5 three-pointers in a single game, helping the team win. His defense against top stars such as Durant and Leonard also left a deep impression on the fans.

But the good times didn't last long. Reddish suffered frequent injuries as soon as he started to improve. He was playing in and out throughout the season, which made the touch he finally found disappear again.

What’s even more fatal is that ankle and other injuries also affected Reddish’s defense. While he, Vincent, and Vanderbilt were recovering from injuries at the same time, coach Ham changed his mind and adjusted Hachimura to the starting lineup. The Lakers used this to perform better. Therefore, even if Reddish returned in the later period, he could not get the previous playing time.

The so-called one-stop effort and then three-year exhaustion. After entering the 24-25 season, Reddish's overall performance has returned to the original point again, averaging only 3.3 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. He gradually fell out of the rotation list. Before entering the playoffs, the Lakers waived him. To this day, Reddish has not signed a contract, and there are not even rumors..

From being the much-anticipated No. 3 player in the United States in high school, to a wandering career in the NBA, to having no ball to play with, Reddish's basketball journey was like a shooting star, shining brightly across the night sky, but eventually fell quietly.

His story reminds us: Talent is like a delicate flower, which requires suitable soil, careful cultivation and continuous training before it can bloom. Otherwise, no matter how high the talent is, it may wither in the wind and rain of reality.