I think they will get an idea about the team in training camp because I think Ime isn't going to be relying on / putting too much on Reed's plate. I feel like the Rockets prefer multiple ball handlers in the lineup. More than likely they will try and bring in another Holiday level type of player (whether an aging ball handling guard or a journeyman 28 year old that fits with the Rocket's style. Reed will probably get ~20 MPG optimistically as I'm not expecting some major leap under the context of the expectations for the team. Plus the Rockets will be very active at the mid season tradeline if they need to be.
Yes, his full court passes are great. His anticipation off where his teammates should receive the ball is above average. However, he has a lot of trouble dealing with the length of players and he often passes the ball way to far out in space creating turnovers. I know this is a terrible example but, he looked out of place running the floor in the second summer league game. He had 6 turnovers and they were awful turnovers. I guess my expectations were for him to absolutely dominate in all facets and he didn't in terms of taking care of the ball.
It's a big ask but if he guards the smallest player on defense, and he only plays off ball corner 3 shooter on offense - yes I believe he can handle that after shaking some rust off.
Predictions: 1. Early in the season, we'll lose games because Sheppard, having been thrown into extended minutes the coach (justifiably) felt he wasn't ready for, makes rookie mistakes or gets put into defensive positions he can't manage. There will be video of him getting bullied or blown by, or flailing at fatal shots he can't reach. Half the people on this board will be calling for his head. 2. By the end of the season, he'll be a league-wide feel-good story of a young man stepping into a big role, overcoming adversity, and becoming a vital piece of a contending team.
Reed looked awful in summer league. I’m hoping for redemption but I just don’t see it guys. I would tamp down your expectations.
I think he will come off the bench as we can run a lineup of Amen - Tari - KD - Jabari - Sengun. Amen, KD, and Sengun will be our playmakers. However, I can see him starting and be like a Matt Maloney type - he just needs to give us good minutes, hit his open shots, and not do anything to cause us to get beat. He will probably struggle on defense and be hunted quite a bit, but I think he can handle everything else. We are just going have to be patient with him.
Speaking of FAs. And as long as we’re back to the 2010s, we probably still own the rights to Sergio Llull.
Reed was asked to play a volume scorer role in the Summer League. Same as when he went down to the G-League. That is not his role on the Houston Rockets. Especially not now, with the addition of Durant. Instead of Reed being viewed as 'instant offense' off the bench, now he's more of a traditional PG role. Very different than jacking up 10 3's a game in a Summer League or G-League game.
Reed will not be the iniator in the half court if that is what you mean by traditional pg. Even if he had the quickness to win one on one matchups and set up other players to score, there is no way Ime would entrust the offense to a 2nd year guy that couldn’t even get on the floor last year, gets cooked on defense, and looked atrocious in summer league. If he has a decent pre-season he may bring the ball up the court quite a bit, but once he steps across the half-court line he will be looking for space to spot up. My guess is Holiday gets the start and will play sg on offense.
Adversity, dude was a 3rd pick..... the only adversity is that every media outlet was hyping him up to be the next Curry and Steve Nash. = Unnecessary Pressure due to talents that he doesn't possess People will be surprised because his 4 ppg scoring can easily be topped and he can get to 15-16 ppg given his scoring talents. He is his own man and a question mark of where his real strength lies and don't give me the shooting stuff.....everyone needs to shoot in this era. His real problem IMHO is that he is 20 year old and plays like a 35 year old in terms of pace but he is not as good as all those decelerating superstars. I think there will be tons of Feel Good Stories that are better with players that were taken in the teens, later in the 1st rounds and 2nd rounds.
Nah, too pessimistic. Players improve, especially rookies who only spent 1 year in college and are entering their 2nd year in the league. We are striving to win a championship... and that means our top talent needs to be on the court and figure it out. We must maximize our ceiling to win it all...and Reed's ceiling is very high. Holiday is a nice backup player who serves an important role -- depth. Reed has the talent, work ethic, and brains to succeed as a PG. We are going to see it this year.
The one thing we know for sure is there will be major overreactions on Clutchfans before, during, and after each and every game. Let the season and overreactions begin!!!.
That is what they need from him. I truly believe that is what they were expecting from FVV this year. I think it is a hard ask for him to be even adequate on defense for the first third of the season or so. If you go by experience he is more akin to a rookie than a second year player, not to mention his physical short comings. Maybe he has the unworldly basketball IQ that his proponents proclaim and can step up more quickly this year, because of it.
I hope you are right. I am not at all high on Holiday. How much patience will Ime have with Reed? Ime likes his veterans and he likes his defense. Okogie may be a surprise favorite of his if Reed doesn’t immediately produce. FVV’s injury was a setback for Reed, because he could have come along slowly and play against bench players most of the time. It is a huge ask for him to produce after his limited exposure last year.
I hope this is a lesson for Ime to not overly rely on the vets. I know hindsight is 20/20, but there's a reason many of us were screaming for him to develop the younger guys last season. Mostly so he'd have other options in the playoffs, but also because of worst case scenarios like this.
Reed will be fine. He should have a similar role as a starter like Bari. Just play good defense and hit your 3s. On the plus side, unlike JSJ, Reed can actually dribble and get to the rim. We have Sengun, Amen, and Durant to initiate offense and handle the ball. Bari and Reed will be perfect role players.
