It's still just summer league but I don't blame you. He put on a show. The range, the sauce, the smart passes and quick hands on defense are legit at this level of competition. I'll be honest "I was unfamiliar with your game" moment when he put Knecht on skates. His handle isn't dazzling but he knows when the defender overcommits to his shot and has the sound footwork and handle to make them pay. He just caught Knecht up in a web, he did the same with that crossover on Kuhse. It wasn't some ankle breaker but Kuhse overcommitted after getting busted going under screens. Kuhse was playing desperate and got caught with a pretty simple crossover, Sheppard buried the shot. It's not the handle, it's the smarts and instinct. Frankly he torched Kuhse a few times. To that, I think people expecting him to be a lead guard are setting themselves up for agony. I think we saw basically exactly what you want from him in that game. Space the floor, bury help defenders with range and use his gravity to get cutters easy buckets. I'm sure too, getting some picks from Alpe to open up those easy looks at the elbow will make the playbook. I'll take 15 and 5, with some poke check defense. It's not him becoming a helio-offense, it's not him putting up numbers, it's his effect on the game through efficiency and smart passes that makes the team better.
I think he and I had agreed that 2 players fit what the Rockets needed (athletic big or backcourt shooting). I would have been totally happy with either Sarr or Reed, whichever one fell to us. I love that we got Reed, he's so fun to watch.
Brah I have been saying draft Sheppard since the beginning of the year. You jumped on the bandwagon muuuuuch later.
Do NBA players get hot from 30-foot range? There is getting hot, and there is just range. It's like height, you either got it or you don't. You don't get height and you don't get range.
This reminds me of an early version of NBA2K, or predecessor, where all you had to do was spam Mark Price at the half-court and you would win every time. Walk up and shoot then get back on defense. After last nights first Summer League I'm having happy flashbacks and looking forward to the next game.
