Reed Sheppard looks like a role player to me. Guys that can shoot it are a dime in a dozen. Armani Brooks, Steve Novak, etc. Can he do other stuff on the court?
Name one guy who can hit 50% from 3 and have a 42 inch vertical. He's like an athletic version of Steph Curry
The whole draft is probably role players so that really doesn't matter. Cam Whitmore would be the clear #1 pick in this draft and we stole him, so we're already playing from ahead. Rockets don't need more star power, they need a cohesive team. Sheppard is the cleanest fit with what we have, a potential successor to FVV, fits a clear need (shooting), and is no slouch athletically or defensively. The clear pick in my opinion.
Reed Sheppard checks a lot of boxes for the Rockets in particular. I won't be upset if they end up taking him, I just think at three is a little high. Somebody will fall in love with someone and want to move up to that pick. If you can trade back a little and get Reed, that's probably a good move. Topic getting hurt is unfortunate though. He's a guy I thought someone might want to move up for, but maybe not now.
I'm of the opinion that at 6'0-6'3, your length actually doesn't matter all that much on defense. At that position you won't be playing defense and contest shots with your T-Rex arms anyway, it's almost 90 percent defensive positioning IQ, quick/strong hands, and having a strong core. We have had 3 dwarf defenders in the past decade, and they are some of the most impactful defenders on our team. Lowry, Chris Paul and now FVV. They cause so much havoc despite their size. How many times have we seen FVV just rip the ball from bigger players this season, or exploiting bigger players weak handles on the perimeter. Now I haven't watched enough Reed to compare him to the above, but from what I'm hearing he's another guy with great defensive IQ. He just needs to get stronger.
If Reed, at any point of his NBA career, plays like Grayson Allen we saw this past season, it would be well beyond my expectation of him.
I really like him too. I think his stock goes up the closer we get to the draft. 3 might not be out of the question when it's all said and done.
Great points, but you aren’t concerned about the 6’2” height on the wing? That would be the shortest 2-guard in the league. Maybe I’m over fixated on the height. I guess as a combo guard it could work. What’s very clear to me is that he’s a special shooter; if the height isn’t gonna change that against nba competition I’m in.
I think you're on the right track. For the naysayers, carve out some time and watch this meticulous breakdown. And then remember how much athletic upside he'll have in the NBA-style game with the freedom of movement rules. Some think Sheppard doesn't have the game to set others up as if he's only an SG. It's completely unfounded.
He's ranked in the 50's as a prospect, too many guys who shoot better or with more physical gifts. I could see him being UDFA ..... If I were his agent, I'd recommend going back for another year at the very least.
I think my biggest issue with Knecht is that he's practically a senior citizen already I want to see more, but I'm not sure I'm picking him over Sheppard if the 2 are available.
Some of y'all are wild for comparing Reed Sheppard to Curry and Nash. To me Reed is between a white Luther Head and a black Kirk Hinrich.
Yeah this video (and others) should make it clear how Reed can be utilized. He's not "just" a shooter. I'm not saying he's an elite playmaker or anything, but he clearly has some high end processing and passing skills. I'd *still* like Reed a lot even if he turned out to be just a league average shooter (though admittedly probably not at #3). Definitely could be a bust, but he's got the skillset and BBIQ that I'd gladly take a flyer on.
I don't think I'd make that Brooks + 3 for Bridges deal. (and definitely NOT the 26 Nets pick too as @Hemingway added above.) In concept it sounds like a fair deal but when you get to the nuts and bolts of the roster after the trade, we still have a logjam at the 3 spot with Bridges, Tari, Amen, Cam & Tate all fighting for minutes there. It just doesn't make much sense for me to make what appears to be such a minor upgrade at the cost of such a high pick with all the potential that is already on the roster. Even if Bridges is better than that list of players currently - I think there's expectation that at least one of them becomes a better player than Bridges. Hell, if it were the 12th pick, I might still balk at the idea ..... I just don't think Bridges is a needle mover and prefer to keep my powder dry until that player comes along.
