Reed Sheppard report card

the11mingdynasty · Feb 5, 2026 at 3:22 PM

Will said: ↑

Report from the Celtics game:

I have some strong opinions about this game. Some of you will disagree. But I’m just gonna say what I see on the video.

Defensively, this was an A game from Reed. The most caffeinated game I’ve seen from him in weeks. Boston threw a bunch of screen actions at him. He stepped up and cut off every one. Can’t give him an A+, since he got only one steal, but if his job was to stop leaking drives, he did it as well as I’ve seen. And he was on the bench for the first 8 minutes of the 3rd, when Boston blew the game open.

Let’s talk about the missed 3s. The first three tries, he was given good screens, set his feet, followed through, and just plain missed. It looked like the first one was off the back rim, second one off the front, third one off the front too. That last one bothers me because it was right after Clint retrieved Reed’s miss and gave him another shot. A good shooter, when he’s recalibrating, should hit on the next attempt from a similar spot. But Reed again left it short. (His fourth attempt was another story. I’ll get to that later.)

I’m a believer in Reed’s shooting. By that I mean his form is solid (it’s not like watching Jalen go hot or cold) and he has a good track record to back it up, so over time the shot should start falling again. Obviously the last several games have called that into question. But when Reed returned in the second half, the good fundamentals started to cash in. On his fifth try, he was given a good screen, stepped up and followed through again, and this time he got the calibration right. On the sixth, he didn’t need the screen, he just pulled up and hit it from well behind the line. The seventh was front rim. The eighth, a DHO from Amen, was another hit. So 3/8 for the night. Call me back when he’s had a couple of 5/8 games to make up for the cold streak.

Now let’s talk about that fourth 3, because this is where he’s got serious problems. The 3 was a joke. It was a heave at the buzzer because he wasted the possession. And this was a problem all night. Reed brought the ball up, and when Walsh came at him, he retreated almost to halfcourt. In fact, he turned his back to protect the ball. Anyone who’s ever coached kids has seen them do this. They get so rattled that they freak out, give up space, and then give up their court vision by turning away. It’s suicidal. The fact that Reed is still doing this as an NBA player is alarming. You cannot play PG in this league with that kind of timidity and panic.

Reed has zero confidence in his ability to take on a defender without a screen. Again and again, he stands there dribbling and waits for Mr. Durant or somebody else to create an option for him. So he ended up with that silly heave at the end of the 1st. And then on the next possession, starting the 2nd, he did the same thing. This time it was Pritchard facing him. If Reed was ever gonna take on a defender, this was the guy. But he wouldn’t do it. Just stood there dribbling till the clock ran down to 7 seconds, at which point Tate tried to rescue him and got a grenade for his trouble.

I don’t think it’s an accident that Ime subbed Reed out shortly after that debacle. I think he saw that Reed was killing us not by missing 3s but by failing to get us into an offense. In fact, when Ime brought Reed back at the end of the 2nd, he also put in Davison and let him bring the ball up, with Reed parked in the corner as a shooter. Basically he demoted Reed from PG.

Maybe Reed’s lack of confidence is justified. Maybe if he tried harder to beat his man, even just a little to get the play started, he’d lose the ball. But if that’s true, then he shouldn’t be playing PG, at least not till he improves his handle and maybe his strength. And that sucks, because PG is the position we really needed him to fill.
Click to expand...

Needs to beat his man off the dribble with a between the legs cross ala Harden. This would allow him to get a step on his man. Crossing in front of him the way he’s been doing won’t work when they’re all up in his breadbasket.

hlmbasketball · Feb 5, 2026 at 3:45 PM

Bobbythegreat said: ↑

In college the coach was immediately run out of town for gross incompetence and now coaches at Arkansas where they are in a 3 way tie for 4th in their conference.

The next coach was Kevin McHale 2.0....

Starting to seem like coaching is a problem
Click to expand...

I see what I see. Ive heard it all;

1) it's the coaching
2) his shot is not calibrating
3) its the system

You can not build a system to around Reed. Ive said the same thing about Sengun. You only build a system around players like KD, players who can take you to a NBA Championship.

Let this be known, I am in now against REED. He seems like a good kid but personally, I just do not see him as a NBA Player. Overseas, yes, NBA, no way! But time will tell

WoodDavidWood · Feb 5, 2026 at 3:48 PM

Will said: ↑

Report from the Celtics game:

I have some strong opinions about this game. Some of you will disagree. But I’m just gonna say what I see on the video.

Defensively, this was an A game from Reed. The most caffeinated game I’ve seen from him in weeks. Boston threw a bunch of screen actions at him. He stepped up and cut off every one. Can’t give him an A+, since he got only one steal, but if his job was to stop leaking drives, he did it as well as I’ve seen. And he was on the bench for the first 8 minutes of the 3rd, when Boston blew the game open.

Let’s talk about the missed 3s. The first three tries, he was given good screens, set his feet, followed through, and just plain missed. It looked like the first one was off the back rim, second one off the front, third one off the front too. That last one bothers me because it was right after Clint retrieved Reed’s miss and gave him another shot. A good shooter, when he’s recalibrating, should hit on the next attempt from a similar spot. But Reed again left it short. (His fourth attempt was another story. I’ll get to that later.)

I’m a believer in Reed’s shooting. By that I mean his form is solid (it’s not like watching Jalen go hot or cold) and he has a good track record to back it up, so over time the shot should start falling again. Obviously the last several games have called that into question. But when Reed returned in the second half, the good fundamentals started to cash in. On his fifth try, he was given a good screen, stepped up and followed through again, and this time he got the calibration right. On the sixth, he didn’t need the screen, he just pulled up and hit it from well behind the line. The seventh was front rim. The eighth, a DHO from Amen, was another hit. So 3/8 for the night. Call me back when he’s had a couple of 5/8 games to make up for the cold streak.

Now let’s talk about that fourth 3, because this is where he’s got serious problems. The 3 was a joke. It was a heave at the buzzer because he wasted the possession. And this was a problem all night. Reed brought the ball up, and when Walsh came at him, he retreated almost to halfcourt. In fact, he turned his back to protect the ball. Anyone who’s ever coached kids has seen them do this. They get so rattled that they freak out, give up space, and then give up their court vision by turning away. It’s suicidal. The fact that Reed is still doing this as an NBA player is alarming. You cannot play PG in this league with that kind of timidity and panic.

Reed has zero confidence in his ability to take on a defender without a screen. Again and again, he stands there dribbling and waits for Mr. Durant or somebody else to create an option for him. So he ended up with that silly heave at the end of the 1st. And then on the next possession, starting the 2nd, he did the same thing. This time it was Pritchard facing him. If Reed was ever gonna take on a defender, this was the guy. But he wouldn’t do it. Just stood there dribbling till the clock ran down to 7 seconds, at which point Tate tried to rescue him and got a grenade for his trouble.

I don’t think it’s an accident that Ime subbed Reed out shortly after that debacle. I think he saw that Reed was killing us not by missing 3s but by failing to get us into an offense. In fact, when Ime brought Reed back at the end of the 2nd, he also put in Davison and let him bring the ball up, with Reed parked in the corner as a shooter. Basically he demoted Reed from PG.

Maybe Reed’s lack of confidence is justified. Maybe if he tried harder to beat his man, even just a little to get the play started, he’d lose the ball. But if that’s true, then he shouldn’t be playing PG, at least not till he improves his handle and maybe his strength. And that sucks, because PG is the position we really needed him to fill.
Click to expand...

As usual, I enjoy your write ups. I’m a Reed believer, and believe he’s a highly skilled player who’s learning on the fly. I also believe had we passed on Reed and drafted Castle, Reed would be thriving in San Antonio. Much more so than he is here. I’m of the opinion we’re not winning a championship this year, not making a deep playoff run, and may as well invest in Reed’s development by forcing 30 minutes a game. It can’t be worse than what’s happening now.

Bobbythegreat · Feb 5, 2026 at 3:51 PM

hlmbasketball said: ↑

I see what I see. Ive heard it all;

1) it's the coaching
2) his shot is not calibrating
3) its the system

You can not build a system to around Reed. Ive said the same thing about Sengun. You only build a system around players like KD, players who can take you to a NBA Championship.

Let this be known, I am in now against REED. He seems like a good kid but personally, I just do not see him as a NBA Player. Overseas, yes, NBA, no way! But time will tell
Click to expand...

You always have been...

I'll keep this as simple as possible, because I know people like you struggle.

Reed missing shots is on Reed.

The team having no offensive system at all is on Ime.

Reed had a dumb coach in college that got run out of town for how he handled things and he's got a dumb coach in the NBA that needs to be run out of town.

Do your best to comprehend that, but I know you face an uphill battle due to your shortcomings.

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