Tom Thibodeau says Cam Reddish has to earn his minutes with glut of wings
ATLANTA — Tom Thibodeau’s message Saturday was clear as he addressed the outlook of his newest player, Cam Reddish:
Playing time will be earned, not given.
Although Reddish requested a trade from the Hawks because he desired a bigger role, the Knicks already carry a load of wings and don’t have an obvious spot to slot in the 22-year-old.
“You have a finite amount of minutes available in each game — 240 minutes,” Thibodeau said when asked how he will fit Reddish into the rotation. “So you have to play whomever gives you the best chance to win. And nobody’s development is more important than someone else’s development. Everyone’s development is important. So winning has to come first. The team comes first. You play who gives you the best chance to win.”
Reddish traveled with the Knicks to Atlanta but wasn’t available for Saturday’s game against the Hawks. Thibodeau said Reddish will be out for “a while” but described the ankle issue as only a sprain.
The coach and player spoke for the first time before the game.
“Just normal introduction and get to know him, starting to lay out a plan,” Thibodeau said. “Anytime a player gets traded in the middle of the season it’s just getting acclimated. So it was good to visit with him. We’ll spend a lot more time as we go forward.”
The Knicks already dole out heavy minutes to wing-type guards RJ Barrett, Evan Fournier and Alec Burks. The backups are Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes, plus Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose are in the rotation when healthy.
The Knicks reportedly resisted dealing Grimes for Reddish, and instead acquired the former 10th overall pick for Kevin Knox and a future first rounder.
“You don’t lock into one player, you lock into our team,” Thibodeau said when asked about his glut of wings. “So it’s not just Cam’s development or just Quick’s development. It’s everyone’s development. Development is a priority for us. Every day. Year round. That never changes. And the focus has to be on the team and winning. What gives you the best chance to win? So that’s the way we approach it.”
It’s an interesting scenario and one way to break up the logjam is to negotiate another trade. Reddish wanted a larger role, but his 26.3 career minutes per game will be tough to find in New York.
On Saturday, Hawks coach Nate McMillan acknowledged Reddish’s trade request and applauded his professionalism through the process.
“I saw a lot of potential in Cam. He and I had many conversations of my vision of what I thought he could be. I had the opportunity to coach Paul George — same type of body, same type of game, the ability to score, be a two-way player. Those are things I always talked to him about,” McMillan said. “He has a ton of potential. This year, he talked to us during the summer that he wanted to go somewhere else. It was tough on him, to come in, and he was a professional. He was a pro. He didn’t do anything through the media. He came in. He tried to work. A lot of you guys were asking why he wasn’t in rotation or why we weren’t doing certain things. We knew he probably wasn’t going to end the season with us. Unfortunate. He has a lot of talent. Great kid. I wish him well. We had a conversation when it happened. He’s looking forward to the opportunity.”
