I think what Reed is already showing doesn't beget the question of whether he's going to " get there"..wherever that is. It's obvious that's in the bag. This is now about the deadline. Will we be patient and hang on to him or does he get traded for the world.
I think the Rockets should seriously consider starting Sheppard, but if they stick with the current starting lineup, an eventual 9-man rotation that includes Sheppard / Eason / DFS / Adams off the bench gives the Rockets crazy depth. Those four and a guy like Bari would beat a lot of teams starting squads.
I wish Reed would lean all the at into the Kentucky roots and give us a mullet to complement the 50% 3 pt shooting.
I have said it before and will say it again. By the end of the season Reed will end up being our starting PG for the next decade plus and part of our future big 3 with Alpi and Amen.
Damon was significantly smaller and never a great shooter. His peak he was an acceptable shooter. If Reed is a career 35% guy from 3 he will have a short career.
If he plays 80% of how he played last night on a consistent basis, we won’t need a trade. This team can’t afford to trade for a 30m+ guard, so the question is who could we get that would be available that is better than Reed when playing close to his level last night? That is a great outcome for the team and was the plan before FVV got hurt. Okogie was Reed insurance. Our starting unit is winning almost all their stints together and they haven’t even got close to the synergy they will develop over the next month. If Ime would quit playing the stupid 2 big lineup, we are clearly the 2nd best team in the NBA. Not to mention DFS, who can spell Durant to keep him somewhat fresh.
I see the 2% chance he turns in to Curry when he goes on these heater spurts. Then the open three pump to wide open middy. Give me all the S tier unlikely comparisons.
Coming out of the draft I thought Mark Price was the ceiling, but Reed has better defensive potential. I also think he has more athleticism than Stockton, but still has a long way to go to reach that level of playmaking and defense. The shooting is even better than advertised which is bonkers for a second year player. I’d love to see him get at least 10 attempts from 3 a game and see how he does. Have him run around screens like Curry.
The lack of athleticism is why guys like Stockton and Nash were able to focus solely on 2+ skills ......and be Top 1 or Top 2 All Time in those. Also Reed's mom does look like the female version of John Stockton minus the game. Alperen Sengün and Nikola Jokic have the passing games of Stockton/Nash to be honest minus their agility.
Considering how defensive minded Ime is I am surprised how much time he has given Reed even with the defensive shenenigans. This is starting to pay off since hes getting much more comfortable on the floor. If he can just improve his defense by 50% we would have another allstar next year.
I wouldn’t say he is nothing like Nash, there are certainly some similarities but the comparison is not realistic. Nash had one of the 5 best handles in basketball history and while Reed will improve in that area, thinking he will get to that level isn’t fair. I think the better comparison has always been Mark Price. His skill set is more like Sheppard’s. Price is a Hall of Fame type player - and that is the top 5-10% outcome for Reed. However, anyone expecting that is not being fair. If Sheppard hits his shots and stays healthy, he will have a very good career because of his work ethic, intelligence and skill set. I suspect that his passing and handle will improve with use and confidence and he will end up being very efficient as a player… but comparisons to Nash, Stockton, Price and a few others are not constructive. Right now he is a bench player that is getting 10-12 pts a game off the bench, shooting a high percentage from 3 and solid from 2 (for now). He has great hands and can cut quick in tight spaces - but is small and doesn’t use his feet well.
The last few games Sheppard has done what he didn't do previously and needs to do - bump up the volume and let it fly. Like the play where he looked off Durant on the 2 on 1 v. SAS. Even if his percentage suffers if he can improve the gravity ("oh ****, that little guy has it, better close out fast") of his shot it makes him a much more viable player
It is reasonable. What is interesting though is Reed is 38th in the nba with win shares per minute. He is 20th in bpm with only one player above him younger and no players having played less minutes. He will likely have to improve his strength and cardio in the next few offseasons to keep these numbers while increasing his minutes.
He's worked with CP3 and has that elbow jumper down. If you have the three and the pull up jumper, the hezzy drive will come open. He missed a lot of close to the basket shots early because he was forcing them instead of playing at his own speed, which he seems to be doing now.
Right. Reed is only 21 years old, which means another 4 years of NBA experience and he will right at the "ripe" age of 25. The sky is the limit for a dude that has the makings of a deadeye shooter. Develop some pg skills in those intervening years, and see what you get.
