But if he was good he would have started much earlier right? You cant blame Ime for not starting him when he is shooting 35% FG
What a crazy take. Reed only started 3 games last year and in those games he shot 13/25 from three. Over 50%. Problem is he doesn’t get the leash or leeway Jalen had cuz we are actually a good team now. We need to throw him into starting lineup and just take the bruises for the first 20 games. And see what we have from there.
No, a top 3 pick isn't a top three pick. Every draft is different at the time of the draft and then in hindsight later.... the quality at the top varies a lot from season to season. Buzelis is interesting - but he averaged like 8 points a game last year, most fans are not going to point to him as a star - at least not at this point. Timing plays a part in this too, when a team goes from terrible to the playoffs - and then adds a top 10 all time player, there will be less focus on a young player. Sheppard has played one NBA season - so at this point, it is hard to say what he will be, however if he is still struggling by the end of the season, then you will see less and less faith or upside in him.
Not true at all. We were a good team and we had FVV. He had no shot to start over Fred. Even if he was better. Ime wouldn’t do it.
Exactly. Relying on the Adams lineup isn't sustainable and is going to hurt the Rox in the long run. If they don't play Reed they need to be damned sure they can land a good guard by the trade deadline.
Sorry, are you under the belief that only starting 3 of the games in your rookie season is as good as scoring 7 30+ pt games and a 40 point game in your rookie season with insane high efficiency in those games? This is exactly what I'm talking about "cocaine curry" has no benchmark to hit at all and y'all suck him off all the time, it's weird.
No - the general belief of people in the game wasn't that Sheppard would be "Cocaine Curry" or "CP3 with a better shot". There were some that said if everything translated and developed perfectly, he could be very good...... but these same experts also said that the risk around Sheppard was very high, and he was far from a guarantee --- because Reed only went #3 because the draft was viewed as very weak at the top. Jalen Green as a prospect was at least a level above Sheppard when drafted, and was touted by the Rockets organization as a franchise player. Green was handed the keys to the team, he started every game he ever played with the Rockets. Also - if Green was coming off his first season, there would be a lot more optimism about him .... in fact there was a lot of optimism about him until about half way through his 4th season... hell he even got an extension. The issue with Green is that he had 4 seasons - over 300 games started, and while he did improve in some areas, he wasn't a good enough player after a very long sample size. On the other hand, it is perceived that Sheppard has more untapped upside simply because of sample size...... and the "upside" from the organization for Reed isn't as high as they projected Green -- they hope to have Sheppard eventually be a competent starting guard that is efficient and can shoot........ with Green, they wanted him to compete for scoring titles, and be a franchise player. Just very different situations with both players for many reasons.
Absolutely cuz of opportunity. Jalen played for the worst team in the league and a coach who let him do whatever he wanted. Any player in the league with that kinda usage can score 30 points and lose. It’s just fake numbers. Reed coulda done that on the wizards last year. Problem is he played for the second seed in the west and backed up one of our most important player. Part of the reason why Jalen is soo inconsistent is cuz of his rookie year where he was not held accountable and able to just do whatever he wanted. I honestly felt like offensively Jalen got worse every year after his rookie season which is hard to do.
Except Maloney looked like he belonged during his rookie year, then got steadily worse and was out of the league a few years later. Time will tell, but Sheppard seems to be on the opposite trajectory.
But it is a moot point since he wasnt better than FVV. Averaging 35% FG is his fault if he averaged better nos then you can accuse Udoka of not starting him.
I have serious doubts at this point. There's a possibility that he's simply too small, and lacks the lateral quickness and strength to be an NBA-level defender. I know he's athletic. You don't get a 42-inch (perhaps lower) vertical leap if you're not athletic. However, some powerlifters can jump about that high, but they sure as hell couldn't stay in front of SGA. Being an NBA-level perimeter defender requires a very specific type of athleticism. It's also possible that he just needs a lot of time to develop. I'm afraid the team is just not in the right phase of development to give him that time. I think they'll try to give him minutes early in the season, and if they're still able to stay near the top of the standings and he performs, it will be okay. However, if the team under performs during this early stretch, you've got to think that they'll consider moving Reed (and possibly Tari) for more immediate help at the point guard position. Of course, moving the rebuild timeline up like this is exactly what some folks were concerned about after trading for KD.
My thoughts on Reed are... I'm not sure what to think lol - He has shown that, given starters minutes, he can be impressive offensively. Averaging 20-5-3 with 2 steals in his 3 career starts. We also saw some good things from him in preseason, as a starter. That all gives me promise, despite yesterday's meh performance. - He HAS to improve his defensive placement/stance. It's like he's playing to get behind the guy and strip/block his shot. It sometimes looks like that is what he wants to have happen. He needs to have a better stance, and know where his help is. Try to stay in front and, if he gets blown by, THEN he can use his hands. But, that shouldn't be the starting point. - I want to see the same confidence and playmaking with the starters that we see when he's "the man". When he is the best offensive player on the floor (with some of those 2nd/3rd units), he usually looks pretty good. Needs to have that same mentality, even when out there with Amen, Jabari, KD, and Alpi. - Consistency. Consistency. Consistency. I do expect this to improve this season, given his more regular playing time. Last year, it was just so hard for him to get any consistent minutes and as soon as he did something wrong, he was yanked by Ime. If he is given more time, we need to expect him to get more consistent results. He played 655 minutes last year (basically 1/4 what Alpi/Jalen got; 1/3 of what Zachary Risacher got). So, I still think of him basically as a rookie. But, time to grow up, Reed! I think we shouldn't take too much from this OKC game, as their defense is elite and they have a lot of athletic wings. Hostile environment against the champions. But, we do need some consistency in these next 10-15 games. I do hope they get him some run with the starting unit over the next few games. I don't know that the double big is going to work against some of these opponents. He needs a good game against the pistons. 14-4-4 would be a good start, with efficient shooting and passable defense.
Except Reed, who just can't get played. That argument actually doesn't hold up, show the other people who did. Seriously, look at the list. There've been more young players who were "given the keys" who didn't work out as superstars than did, so show me the list that proves "any player in the league" can do it. Reed so far is looking bustier than our bustiest bust so far in the rebuild. I thought this was the numbers obsessed Rockets forum? When they said generational, I didn't think they meant generationally mediocre.
Jalen averaged 42% FG and 34% from 3 as a rookie. Reed averaged 35% FG and 33% as a rookie. How Reed suddenly increase his FG if he plays on a worse team with worse teammates?
For someone with supposed generational level explosiveness for his height and build, he doesn't look explosive in the slightest.
Reed was never drafted to be a franchise player.... He's an undersized combo guard that shot historically well and can move the ball. If our expectations hadn't risen so quickly this wouldn't be an issue. Players like Derrick White and Pritchard took multiple seasons to break through. I'm really not worried about Reed at this point as I feel I have realistic expectations that he will take some time to develop under our new championship mandate. The Rockets have plenty of ammo at the mid season deadline to make a move to shore up ball handling without having to give up on Reed.
The other guy is saying if Reed played in the wizards he would average Jalens nos. So I am asking why he would suddenly be more efficient when he would have worse teammates and be focused and targeted more.
