![NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 31: Cam Reddish #0 of the New York Knicks warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden on January 31, 2023 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)](jpg/1461250664-850x560.jpg)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 31: Cam Reddish #0 of the New York Knicks warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden on January 31, 2023 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Knicks fans ready to banish Tom Thibodeau after Cam Reddish treatment
Cam Reddish is likely entering his final week as a player for the New York Knicks. The 23-year-old went from being a starter earlier in the season to racking up 27 straight DNPs, all with no explanation for why he’s been delegated to the bench. Evan Fournier has even received playing time over Reddish.
There are reportedly several teams interested in Reddish, but according to SNY’s Ian Begley, there are a couple of teams that are considering two things: They would like to see Reddish play and are looking ahead to him being a restricted free agent in the offseason. Whichever team trades for him will have to ensure that he’s part of their long-term future.
Speaking of making sure that Reddish will be part of a team’s future, that isn’t something that the Knicks spent enough time thinking about when they traded a protected first-round pick for him last year. Reddish started his time out in NYC being delegated to the bench and that’s how he’s finishing his stint in the city.
But why? Why did the Knicks trade for him in the first place? What went wrong?
Those are just a few of the questions that fans have been wondering, which is why one fan asked Ian Begley for a legitimate answer as to why Reddish isn’t playing. Here’s part of Begley’s response that has lit Knicks Twitter on fire:
At one point before that Dec. 4 game, Reddish expressed displeasure to a Knick assistant coach about the way Thibodeau was using him, per people familiar with the matter. Reddish has not played since he expressed that displeasure.Does that factor in to why Thibodeau has kept Reddish out of the rotation? I don’t know the answer to that question.
Cam Reddish reportedly ‘expressed displeasure’ to Knicks assistant coach about Tom Thibodeau’s use of him
It’s worth noting that the last game that Cam Reddish played in was Dec. 3, so that’s why fans have assumed that him speaking up about his role is what has led to him no longer playing. However, while that could be true, notice that Ian Begley wrote that he doesn’t know whether or not that had anything to do with Reddish being removed from the rotation.
As Begley noted, Tom Thibodeau has been asked about Cam Reddish getting DNPs, and here’s one of his responses from January:
There has to be more to the story. Does the Reddish treatment all fall on Thibodeau? According to the New York Post, the head coach didn’t want to trade for the forward to begin with. Clearly, it’s a move that the front office wanted to make. Does this all come down to Thibodeau and the front office having a difference in opinion?
Most fans have chosen to believe that the blame falls on Thibodeau.
Once Reddish is traded, there will likely be more information reported about why his time in New York went south so suddenly. Perhaps it was him voicing his displeasure with the way that he was being used on the floor by Thibodeau, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
At this point, the only thing that seems likely is that Cam Reddish is entering his final stretch as a Knick.