I said this a month ago in the draft section of the board but Risacher was my dream pick. I call him Roland Garros because to me he’s the French Klay. He doesn’t need the ball in his hands and although people don’t think of him as a plus athlete he will pick your pocket and then yam it on the other end. Also this talk that he can’t dribble is nonsense. The guy doesn’t have point guard like handles but would have no problem pump faking and driving to the basket for a sweet jelly or slam. As a rookie he would be a 15-20 minute a game sharpshooter with strong defense. In year two he would be a menace as he gets stronger and understands the NBA game. Just watch his tape and tell me you don’t see Klay Thompson…French Klay…Roland Garros.
KPJ and Sheppard are very different players and approach the game very different. Sheppard tends to not make a lot of mistakes. When Dillingham and Sheppard were both in the game - usually Dillingham ran the point to start the game, but down the stretch of games down the tail end of the season it was Sheppard often times running the offense… and it’s not like Dillingham is some POS point guard, he is likely to go top 6-7 in this draft. Also - the game has drastically changed. Being a point guard isn’t really positional so much and it doesn’t take forever for some players to learn the position. James Harden is an example. Kyrie Irving really wasn’t a point guard either… Maxey in Philadelphia. Sheppard has all the attributes to be a good NBA point guard. Also it isn’t even unheard of for a player in college that didn’t start in college to start in the NBA as a point guard. For example Russell Westbrook was the back up at UCLA. I would argue that Sheppard is more versatile than you think. What he isn’t - is long. I haven’t asked around yet about what Udoka wants (which is what he will get), but it IS true that defensively Udoka wants long guys they can switch well. However it is also true that last year he told Stone that the lack of outside shooting and good shot creation capped the Rockets - and Sheppard helps in both those areas.
Sheppard averaged 6.2 assists, 2.8 turnovers per 40 Those aren't bad numbers at all considering he played next to TWO other PG's playing big minutes in Dillingham and Wagner
I know Carter well. I watched him as a middle schooler and then in high school. He went to East High School. Carter played 4 years of college ball and was drafted in the second round. He improved as a shooter when he was an upper classman but he shot like 30% from 3 his first few years in college - and Carter was athletically limited as well. Know who played against Carter and was the same size? Jalen Brunson…. Who played a lot of off ball at Nova early on and could really stroke. My whole point is that we can find examples of short players failing - but there are also lots of examples of them fairing well in the modern NBA. Sheppard’s height matters but it isn’t the he death sentence it used to be.
Here's a quote from a Udoka interview in the Athletic this week. He was asked what areas did he want to improve this offseason: We’re trying to have internal growth with our guys we have, first and foremost. But shooting is always at a premium, so you look at that. Versatility across the board with how we defend and want to play. And well-rounded players, we want shot creation as well. Trying to cover all the bases and with that third pick, you can do that with a lot of these players.
Sheppard seems like he'd be a really great fit for Houston. But it might be because I've gotten used to FVV running this team, and Sheppard looks like he could be a VanVleet clone with a much better outside shot. I don't know if he's a reach for the number 3 pick, but I think he'd thrive on the Rockets and getting mentored by FVV.
Yeah - Sheppard was their best point guard. I have so far seen a dozen of their complete games (Kentucky) and he clearly is their best player and their best point guard.
I would imagine Ime likes the competitor in Sheppard. He was a highly rated recruit who was a double Kentucky legacy and went there despite the fact they recruited two other sub 6-3 lead guards who were even higher rated than him. That gives you an idea of the type of competitor he is. Ime’s quote said “defensive versatility” as opposed to length. You could argue Sheppard’s hands and anticipation do provide a very different look than a hyper elite athlete like Amen.
I’m pleasantly surprised how much stronger and quicker Matas looks in this combine vid. If the shooting is real he will go very high. I have no doubt the rockets are high on him; could be the pick at #3. Could also be a player target for teams to trade up. There’s gonna be a lot of movement on big boards over the next 6 weeks; this guy is gonna be a riser.
We want the best player in this draft that's not a non-shooter, right? Freshman or Sophomore college seasons since 2008 with >10 Box Plus Minus, >60% TS, >36% 3P%, and >6 3PA/100: Steph Curry Davidson '08 James Harden Arizona State '08 Gordon Hayward Butler '09 Lonzo Ball UCLA '17 Mikal Bridges Villanova '17 Jaren Jackson Jr Michigan State '18 Tyrese Haliburton Iowa State '20 Chet Holmgren Gonzaga '22 Keegan Murray Iowa '22 Brandin Podziemski Santa Clara '23 Reed Sheppard Kentucky '24 That's the whole list, not just the ones who were drafted in the first round. That's the whole list among all college basketball player-seasons since 2008.
Interesting to say the least. Not a single bad player in there. Ball injured but looked like he was coming up. Podziemski looks like he will be in the NBA for a long time.
I wouldn't draft Clingan, but no, it doesn't. You don't trade your best player because you drafted some unknown commodity.
I like him alot too at #3. He has the most upside after Sarr and it's close. He's an athletic 6'10 with great handles, high IQ, versatile, and plays good defense. So talented
I’m from Kentucky where Shepherd played and I would love to have him on the Rockets but I guarantee you that Dillingham is going to be a monster. I compare him to more of Allen Iverson without the trouble with coaches. He can get a bucket at any time but he plays a little out of control at times. I think Dillingham will be a better pro but Shepherd will be a better fit for our team. I’m good with anything but a center.
Thank you for sharing, what a great post. Did your buddy think Green will be traded? KPJ still on their mind, huh? First crack to sign him, should be interesting. I wonder if the star is Durant. DD
Fair point but Carter came into the league after 4 years of college and Sheppard only had one. Reed’s freshman year shooting was magnitudes from 2pt and 3pt better than Jevon’s freshman on equal usage.
He was out of position a lot but so was the whole team. Not very good coaching but he is scrappy as hell and I think he can develop into an above average defender. He has the instincts for sure. He might have the best hands I’ve seen in years and the best outlet passes.
Dillingham is the worst defender I’ve seen in quite some time. It doesn’t matter how good you are on offense when your defense is that bad.
