New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson may have been the star at Duke, but it appears Atlanta Hawks swingman Cam Reddish was the one lighting up their practices.

Williamson managed to follow through on the hype that had surrounded him going into college by becoming the clear-cut No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Nonetheless, while he overshadowed his Duke teammates like RJ Barrett and Reddish, the 18-year-old still spoke highly of the two.

In fact, in an interview with Michael Lee of The Athletic, Williamson admits to being in awe of Reddish's skill set in practice.

“I wish y’all were there. Before the season started, we were having scrimmages and I remember Cam would be like dismantling. I used to look at Cam in awe, like, this dude can hoop,” Williamson said. “I come from a small high school. Cam is out here hitting five threes in a row, then go dunk it in the lane. I used to be in awe watching Cam in practice.”

Article Continues Below
More Atlanta Hawks News
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) drives to the basket against the Toronto Raptors in the second quarter at State Farm Arena.
RUMOR: Hawks’ Trae Young trade rumblings put to bedAlex House ·
image thumbnail
Hawks’ Larry Nance Jr. reveals Top 5 NBA moments on Father’s DayChris Dodson ·
image thumbnail
Hawks rumors: What Atlanta seeks in draft amid trade buzz, expected free agent lossZachary Weinberger ·
Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder speaks with Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.
Hawks’ Trae Young blasts Knicks for Quin Snyder interview requestRichard Pereira ·
Atlanta Hawks guard Caris LeVert (3) controls the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center.
Hawks rumors: What Jake Fischer is hearing about draft trades, free agencyZachary Howell ·
Atlanta Hawks player Trae Young with his son Tydus watch the game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Oklahoma Sooners at Stegeman Coliseum. © Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Trae Young gives inside look at Oklahoma basketball jobJake Faigus ·

Williamson's comments are certainly telling of the kind of talent Duke boasted this year. They managed to make history by becoming just the second school to have their star-studded trio be picked in the top-10 of the same draft.

Aside from Williamson, the New York Knicks also went chalk by taking Barret with the third overall pick. Meanwhile, Reddish was once again overshadowed after going to Atlanta at No. 10.

Despite his recent standing, there is good reason for the Hawks to be optimistic about his potential. The praise from Williamson is just the latest example of why Atlanta made several moves to shore up their young core through this year's draft.

The onus will now be on Reddish to prove that he was, perhaps, the most overlooked player in the former Duke triumvirate.