I think other players have more "star" potential than Reed but many of them have some glaring red flags that I think could have them out of the league in 4 years. Reed's shooting and BBIQ is way too high for that to happen to him. I think there's a world where he doesn't make it as a starter but he's going to carve out a role on just about any team with that shooting. Payton Pritchard just made the rotation of a winning Celtics team and Reed is a better shooter and playmaker than that. I think we have a good team with a lot of talent and this just isn't the draft for me for us to swing for the fences because all of the swing for the fences guys have issues. I have big concerns on Sarr, Rissacher, Buzelis, Holland, Topic, and Castle. They all have arguably a higher upside than Reed but such a much lower floor. I think at least 1 or 2 of those guys hit but I don't want to be the one throwing the dart hoping we hit the right one. I'd rather just take the sure fire thing because we're geared to make the playoffs this season. Shooting was arguably our biggest issue and this is a great way to help solve it. I also don't feel like I see many people mentioning how Amen could be a perfect backcourt partner with Reed, I feel like they could cover each other's weaknesses well. The only other guys I'm relatively sure on in this draft are Clingan, Knecht, and Devin Carter. But I don't think we need Clingan and both Carter and Knecht are 3 years older than Reed (though if we do end up trading down I'm targeting either one of those guys)
Glen Rice, Reggie Miller, Ray Allen, Chris Mullen, Larry Bird, Steph Curry, Chris Jackson, Mark Price, etc.
Someone with Jalen's tools should be a plus defender, but he's not. Defense is not in Green's DNA. It's not natural for him. By contrast, RS has already figured out how to be a help defender. He finds ways on that end of the court to be involved. It does not take an all-star level "moves" to score on Mr. Green. That's simply not true. His technique and footwork remain poor. Rarely does Green steal the ball. In 225 games in his career (7,361 minutes played --> 32 minutes a game), he has a total of 169 steals to his name (.75 per game, but keep in mind that many, many games are zeros). That's embarrassing for a guy as athletic and quick as he is. RS had 82 steals last season. Only seven Kentucky players have ever averaged more than two steals per game in a season. (The record 87 was Rajon Rondo as a freshman.) Please ignore the numbers; live on in the fantasy that RS is a slow-footed, poor shooter who can't play In the NBA. That is exactly what most SEC guards thought as he took the ball out of their hands.
He's a uniquely efficient shooter on low average volume as a freshman. There really aren't many comps
I mean alternatively you can say that's why people are not that high on him. If he has Jalen Green's body and just had the season he had, he'd be an immediate lock for #1, and Atlanta would already have traded one of Young/Murray to fit him in next year. Sheppard has made the most out of what he can do physically while Green has essentially wasted at least half his potential these past years. If Green was suddenly twice as productive next year, people would just say he's finally delivering on his talent. If Sheppard became twice as productive as he was at Kentucky, people would be just plain shocked.
Jalen Green is far quicker than Reed. Then again Reed can back off some and let Green shoot from the perimeter, where he isn't very good. Also - Reed will give Green a hard time when he is off ball. Last, Green will get sick tracking Sheppard who will shoot well from the outside. Green and Sheppard both finish well inside and both are very good in transition. I don't know why the two of them are being compared though - they are different players with different strengths.
Going to also add that if we were in the place of the Wizards or Pistons where we didn't have much talent, I would absolutely just swing on a Sarr, Risacher, Castle, or Buzelis, whoever impressed most in workouts. I think the chances those guys are one day an all-star is higher than the chances that Reed is an all-star one day. But I still think those chances are relatively slim and a toss of a coin, and that the chances they are playing back in Europe in a few years are waaay higher than Reed This is a weak draft and there's not a single player in this draft who reads to me as a sure fire all-star, which is why I'm looking at guys who are sure-fire role players at the least in the position we are in
Different strengths and also Green is just a significantly better prospect where Shepard's ceiling is no where close to Green's. One on one, not having to play full court etc means more consistency in a jump shot. Green is a inconsistent shooter not a bad one given his career 80% ft shooting. And he's inconsistent because he takes difficult shots that require fresh legs and he probably at this stage of his career isn't conditioned to do what he does in a NBA game and have fresh enough legs to be consistent shooting. Obviously the hope is he will. In a one on one pick up games there is no way Reed Sheppard will let Green shoot. Those would be practice shots given that he isn't in a full game situation that extends significantly more energy. And they aren't in the same stratosphere when t comes to finishing at the rim. Finishing against college defenders is not the same as finishing against NBA defenders.
Sheppard can shoot and play defense, Jalen can't do either... That said, let's not compare Sheppard to the draft bust, it's disrespectful.
Sheppard played defense and shot well for one year and is afraid if he stays in college his stock will go down........... Take the two time champion.
I know it's a hero shot (peers around carefully), but looks as tall as Spyda... IJS (but you can see Spyda with the longer arms) Does look like Shep is standing on a step or something
lol. He's not Donovan's height and he looks like a little kid next to him. Trade Sheppard! They were both standing on the ground, but I think Donovan's leaning in a bit.
