The names Nash and Price you named were pure point guards who could also shoot. Reed is a shooter who can also pass but to me he is going the Devin Booker very lite route/plus steals if he gets big minutes. When he is aggressive with his scoring and shooting, then his overall game and passing comes around.
What does given the "green light" mean? All players are empowered to shoot when they have a shot and drive when they have a lane. If Udoka and staff haven't done that then there's something wrong with this team, which I highly doubt since this is not typical of what good coaches at any level does. The data is very limited on Sheppard in terms of the number of games he performed "well" in. Here's what he did when given substantial playing time (20 min or more) When he played over 40 minutes, which is 1 game, he shot .357 FG% .500 3pt% TS: 50% 30-39 minutes: 2 games .548 FG% .529 3pt% TS 70% 20-29 minutes: 2 games .368 FG% .333 3 pt% TS 51% The jury is still out on him and as the coaches said, he needs to perform bottom line. Hopefully we see the 30-39 minute version of him or better
It’ll be interesting to see if they run anything to capitalize on his strengths. They’ve really done a poor job of running sets that maximize Bari. JG did not thrive in half court sets, and Amen/Tari get their shots off chaos. KD gets most of his shots off perimeter ISO.
Honestly i dont think Jalen Failed, but this team is looking to take the next big step in phase 3 or 4? They cant wait on anymore development. They know what they got, and these players will grow still, but there obviously trying to contend with okc. Jalen might go avg 22-24 or whatever next year next to book, but that dont mean that team will even be relevant. Suns look like... well maybe like a scrappy lesser bulls team in the west, even with Willams at C, but they have no bench, and with Green if he is inconsistent there, he will get roasted fast on nights when booker is not doing well. If he is going to be the robin, well Booker goes out and he is not spot on, that team will go down hill fast. Suns fans will be disappointed. Kd could atleast pull out games for you when it comes down to the wire, Jalen wont he will regress to his i dont know run around brick staggering he loves to do.
Reed's playing time will be contingent on his impact on defense...I think his confidence on offense improved as the season progressed, but too many times he was a defense on liability: guards effortlessly drove him to the basket, was hunted in switches, and when he got matched up in the paint it was easy buckets...Reed improves his defense to a FVV level/standard then he'll be our starting point guard 26-27 season. If he continues to be a defensive liability, Reed will be traded out in part of a bigger trade package
I think he will learn to be a very good point. His shooting got him noticed and drafted, but maturity, coaching, and high bbiq will determine how good he actually becomes right? I just hope he spends an hour a day watching reruns of Steph Curry hunting for his shot with Amen keeping him in handcuffs. He's got the shot, I just want him to take a page out of Curry's off ball movement. Not just take a page. No I want him to cut, copy, and paste the whole freaking chapter on hunting his shot. If he can do that, and play FVV level defense, then he's gonna be a star.
Ah, ok, just thought it took Fred VV his mentor years until he could run the show instead being the bench goon.
Not sure where the incorrect rhetoric that Reed was a poor defender. His per 100 deflections/steals/blocks are among the league leaders. He just needs to focus on when to gamble. He was an elite defender in college even at his size, because he is a great athlete with good instincts and above all else, a willingness to play defense.
Reed is great at PART of playing defense. His hands are exceptional and he'll only get better at using them. That said, it's other aspects of defense where he comes up short, in particular staying between his man and the basket. That will have to improve this year or Ime will continue to sit him in favor of someone else who's better at it. Of course, his offense can offset a lot of that, assuming he learns to bring in on a nightly basis.
I agree. But I don’t think it’s ability, as much as mindset. He has to buy into team defense first, then get to the gambling aspects.
I don't know about Reed. I really hope like hell he's earning 25+ min a night, and really competes for the starting PG spot over FVV towards the end of the season. HOWEVER... looking at the roster here this afternoon a bit more again, and guys.... I really am concerned that we are about to see A TON of Aaron Holiday this season. We are so thin in the backcourt it's not even funny. There's so much riding on the development of Amen, and Reed. At their age, you know that KD, and likely Fred will be missing alot of games. If it was me running the team, I think I would have tried to move off of Tate, and Jeenathan to sign or draft a couple more guards this year. We are almost too deep at the 3-4 spots and ultra thin at the 1-2 spots. Especially if you count Amen, and KD as natural 2-3-4 wings. We are in a real risky spot here if Reed doesn't work out.
I want him matched up against Amen in practice as much as humanly possible. And then run some 1s against him after practice. Take advantage of being teammates with the best perimeter defender in the NBA.
He has always had quick hands and he was a big defensive play guy. Not necessarily a great defensive player. He just had the ability to read offenses and go for the splash defensive play whether its jumping the lane for a steal or going for the ball when a defender drives by or an opportune block etc. He can’t guard big 2 guards and is a liability this way. There’s a reason he was paired with Amen in our lineups last year. Amen can guard the 2 and teams have to guard him while Reed guards and is defended by the 1. We have the personnel where he can thrive as a 1 or 2.
I think that would totally wreck his confidence. FVV is supposedly a good defender why not let him practice against him. The best players in the league can’t operate against Amen, at least let this kid settle in against a few decent defenders first.
Iron sharpens iron. If he ducks the best, then he’s not built for it. Can’t worry about confidence. I think he has the right mentality to wanna run 1s with Amen
It's not a curse as much as it is a total lack of an ability to evaluate basketball talent combined with his ill-fated penchant for hot takes.
He went to RGV played against lesser competition and came back with much more confidence. We can just agree to disagree on this one.
