I know there are good defender who are small. I was too lazy to list those. I guess the most obvious one is our own FVV. Fred is stronger and has a lower center of gravity to resist bullying by bigger players. But Reed is more athletic, slightly longer, and has better hop. I think they are fairly close in terms of overall physical tools. I do have to concede that there are more bad defenders than good ones at their size. Let me say this as a general rule: Motor is absolutely essential for a guy to succeed in the NBA. It is more important than physical measurement. Russell Westbrook carved out an MVP career by sheer motor, speed, and hop. Reed Sheppard looks like a high motor guy. He might not be as energetic and explosive as Westbrook. But he has better basketball skills. I'm not saying Reed will have a more successful career than Russ. In fact, I think Russ has been overrated throughout his career. But his success illustrates how having a high motor is so important.
Whether you respect it or not, when a college freshman blows away the best players across the entire nation in shooting proficiency that hasn't been rivaled in decades I think that matters. Then, when that same player averaged 2.5 steals a game I think there's huge potential to get even better.
Not only that, but we don't need the best shooter to be a great defender. If he can make steals, disrupt plays with his quick hands, and pass without turning the ball over as much as others I like that combination. Shooting proficiently is our weakness and he has huge potential to make us better with his talent, BBIQ, drive, and great attitude.
Sure, but you can't really do it on a nightly basis until you are allowed to do so. If Sheppard went to a lesser school, he'd have had that opportunity...but unfortunately for Kentucky, their coach wanted to go a different direction and it cost them. There's not really an example of a player with his skills that was featured so sparingly. The reason for the Curry comparison is becuase they are so similar stylistically when you actually watch. Reed Sheppard has that quick trigger 3 that he can get off basically any time he wants, but he's also an extremely unselfish player who sticks to the role his coach gives him. One of the knocks on him is that he's often too conservative, but that's something that makes him an even better pick for the Rockets given that they already have so many young players who will demand the ball. You don't want to bring in yet another big ego type. When it comes to the Curry and Nash comparisons, neither are perfect but I think the Nash comparison is just desperately looking for a white guy to compare him to. If you see his passing and playmaking in transition, you can speculate as to how he might develop as a PG...but I'd be shocked if he was ever a Nash quality passer. The Curry comparison is MUCH more accurate as a ceiling type comparison. With the Nash comparison, he hasn't shown the capability, with the Curry comparison he simply wasn't given the opportunity to the detriment of his team.
Here is a piece of a scouting report after Curry's sophomore season: Here is a part of a scouting report after his freshman year: This scout, after Curry's freshman year didn't even know if Curry was an NBA prospect. Apparently, many agreed--including Steph--since he went back to school two more years. People are looking at Curry the finished product and comparing him to 19 year old RS. Really, Curry wasnt thought of as a generational type player until Kerr got there and put him in that motion offense and really unlocked his game. There's no guarantee that RS will make the leaps in his game Curry did. In fact its unlikely he will. But it is very likely that he improves the areas of his game where he isnt as strong and isnt the same guy at 19 that he is going to be at 25....and thats the exciting part. Becoming an even better half court passer, improving the handle, getting stronger and still having that amazing shot is exciting to think about in a Rockets uni.
If the Rockets trade out of this pick...it's almost a guarantee that the Spurs take Sheppard. And I'm going to be ****ing livid if I have to see Victor and him tormenting us for 15 years. With Shepp off the board there isn't anyone left that worries me going there. Castle? Dude can't shoot. Risacher? Meh.
I just went back and re-watched Kentucky's tournament loss....they had an embarrassingly poor game plan. You have 2 of the best 3 point shooting guards in the nation....coming off the bench of course, and the team makes absolutely no effort to get them going. Instead the game plan was to try to win inside. I think I saw maybe one or two picks set all game. It would be like the pre-Durant Warriors saying, sure we have Curry and Thompson...but the key to winning is to feed Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli.
Probably already posted but here's some high praise for Sheppard from Coach K, the winningest college coach ever. https://kyinsider.com/mike-krzyzewski-coach-k-high-praise-kentucky-basketball-011524/
It really is pretty bad. Honestly they kinda do that in most of their games IMO, but it was especially bad in that game given how Oakland was playing defense. I do think Reed (and Rob) should have played better (even with the gameplan they were given), but it was just not great to watch. I watched about 5-6 random UCONN games to evaluate Castle, Clingan, and possibly the seniors for 2nd rd picks. That is *so* much better in comparison. They probably did have more talent than most teams, but their gameplans, execution, systems, etc. generally seemed to be top notch too. I happened to watch these before the Dan Hurley LAL news broke, but that news made a ton of sense after I watched those games. (I'm still not really seeing it with Castle )
When I first watched the game, I wasn't really watching that closely and I wasn't keying in on any specific players so I missed just how bad it was. If memory serves, they set a grand total of one pick for Sheppard....which would have led to an easy basket....but it was a Warriors special, a moving screen, and the refs didn't swallow the whistle like they did for the vintage Warriors. Here's the thing though, they could have done that or something similar basically every time down the court and it would have given their best players a ton of open shots....but instead it was just a bunch of standing around just waiting for the guards to pass the ball inside. That game didn't officially get John Calipari fired, but it lead to them basically forcing him to quit.....and I don't blame them.
You do realize how ignorant it sounds to just say "a 6'2 guard" given that some of the best guards in the history of the game were about that height or shorter....right? Also....the Mavs have a 6'2 guard, Kyrie Irving When you say "6'2 guard" you aren't saying anything at all about the quality of the player. However, perhaps that's what John Calipari was thinking when he came up with his game plan for Kentucky's tournament game that ended up with him no longer being their coach......can't trust 6'2 guards, need to force it inside to taller players because tall equals good....and we saw how that ended.
Hope you’re watching the playoffs. Just upped Clingan’s stock! We need to take Clingan! Hope you’re watching the playoffs. Just upped Ware’s stock! The importance of an athletic center! Must have! Hope you’re watching the playoffs. Just upped the jumbo guards stock! Castle or Topic is where it’s at! Hope you’re watching the Finals. Porzingis just upped someone’s stock! Wait, there’s no Porzingis in this draft?! Celtics take a lot of threes(1st in attempts) and make a lot of threes(2nd in %) … so take Sheppard? Rockets used to take a lot of threes and missed a lot of threes (hello 0-27). This year 12th in attempts, 23rd in 3pt %.
If there is a Jrue Holiday, any version of him in this draft, you take him over Sheppard, very simple........ Some of the best Defense I have seen in years.
