OR ... some of us are setting ourselves up for appointment when it comes to Sheppard! Spoiler: Immortal words forthcoming.... Go Rockets!!! ....... ....... .......
The only conclusion I can reach is because of his size, style of play and that he shared guard duties - people wrote him off as "JJ Reddick". Having said that, anyone that actually went below the surface could tell that there was more there - perhaps they could question whether it would translate to the NBA, but it was clear he could pass, that he processed the game quickly, that he had confidence and a high skill level. Many people fell into that trap - Sam Vecenie had Reed at the end of the first round, then mid lottery, and then third - but he has even mentioned that by far the most impressive player was Sheppard - and that he should have had him #1 on his board, and believes right now he would go #1. There are some real questions with Reed, defensively he is struggling at the point of attack - he has only played 3 Summer League games and he doesn't have combo guard size - but it is pretty clear that the shooting, efficiency, passing, processing speed, intelligence and confidence is going to translate at the NBA level.
I certainly haven't written off Amen Thompson as a ball handler and capable PG - however, it has more to do with the size of Sheppard - he is going to handle the ball a lot, and he will be off ball when Amen is cooking, or Green is cooking. As for Green, he has improved his handle a lot, but I don't think he has the court vision that Amen or Reed has. He is capable of playing the lead ball spot, but the other two are more gifted at seeing the court.
Sheppard was pigeonholed at UK. Starts and minutes were promised to Wagner and RD. Reed Sheppard was an after thought going into his year at UK. He did get some opportunities down the stretch of games to run the offense, and that was when he was at his absolute best. I expect that he will get an opportunity at some point to do that with the Rockets, and likely will not mess it. Long term he is not just an off-ball shooter -
Agreed. I think the idea is for all our guards (including Amen) and Sengun to initiate the offense in the half court depending on in-game dynamics. I think it is a marvelous plan that makes preparing for the Rockets a nightmare for any team. I just hope Ime has the offensive chops or they hire someone to help Ime execute the various sets. We should try to play fast as much as possible, but the half-court offensive game will always be more pre-dominant than transition offense, especially in the playoffs.
nobody was saying that his best position would be pg. it was combo guard with playmaking abilities so as much as i did like him predraft, that's not worthy of being a #3 pick at that size. what i've seen in SL is that he looks way better on the ball than off, this is very encouraging to me. he should be groomed to be fred's bakup with the goal of him taking over.
Reed being able to control an offense just speaks to his IQ. Im not sure that is where he will flourish in the NBA. His handle needs to tighten up if he's going to be defended by starting level guards as a point. I want to see how NBA length will impact his shot in small windows. Quite honestly I think his best path forward would be a 3&D point, but the beauty here is that we have plenty of facilitators to make his life easier. He isnt straddled with the pressure of saving a franchise or being looked at to go get buckets on his own when everything falls apart. As long as he can be relied upon to make open shots he will provide exactly what this team needs especially in game deciding plays even as a decoy.
We haven't really seen him off the ball though, have we? All we've really seen is that he's better than we thought on the ball. He could be (and probably is) really good off the ball too. It's hard to showcase off ball skills without solid coaching and good offensive plays/principles, and that really doesn't exist in the G league.
