That is a very good analysis. My concern has been that I would not want to take Sheppard as a one trick pony at #3, being just a 3 point shooter. But if he can be a 3 and D, plus also offer elite ball handling at point guard, even if he is outside borderline allstar, it would gel the makeup of the current team. And it would be ideal if he can learn under Fred Vanvleet, and take over in 2 years, that would be awesome. I know it’s never good to draft based on need, but getting an elite shooter that can play defense and can also take care of the ball is quite remarkable.
Nice digging. But going back to this scouting report on Curry, I like Reed for very different reasons. He is NOT the shot creator that separated Curry from all those other guys. I do not see a perennial allstar in Sheppard. However I do see an elite winner that affects the game in all aspects, not just shooting. In a weak draft, getting the perfect fit at point guard for the next 15 years is not a terrible outcome, even if it’s not the next Steph Curry.
If they can make Amen a pure PG, then of course they can try fitting Reed as a PG. It is just that the Rockets have tried to make every guard the lead PG until Fred came along.
This is gold, in the Jimmer thread he's compared to Nash and Curry as well a couple times. I have a quote of Woj saying he might not do nearly as well in the NBA I forgot about. NBA Execs were comparing Fredette to Curry "For all the comparisons to Fredette, perhaps the one that NBA executives most make is with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry(notes). The former Davidson star was a one-man wrecking crew, small, slight and full of flair, pushing 30 points a game outside of the power conferences. Several executives and scouts believe the Fredette-Curry contrast is a good way to measure BYU’s star, while several others don’t believe Jimmer belongs in his class. “An insult to Curry’s talent,” one Eastern Conference personnel executive said. Unlike Jimmer Fredette, Danny Ainge never had his athleticism or quickness questioned when he came to the NBA from BYU 30 years ago. Out West, there’s an NBA scout who’s closely followed Fredette’s career. He’s watched him courtside multiple times over the past couple seasons, and flatly said: “I’m telling you, he’s better than Stephen Curry. “Curry was always taking difficult, off-balance shots because he couldn’t create space like Fredette can for himself. Plus, I don’t think his team is any good. He’s doing this himself. He’s having one of the most remarkable seasons any college player’s had in the last 10 or 15 years. “If this kid played in the ACC or Big East, they’d be building a statue for him.” Some folks were right about Curry being a prospect in the other threads.
If you can guarantee me that Amen can be a lead guard, even a crappy shooting one like Ben Simmons, I'd immediately put Sheppard at the very top of the Rockets board.
Sheppard was 4th in the SEC in assists per game at 4.5 per and was not the primary ball handler. He can pass. Well above stud elite point guard prospect Rob Dillingham's 3.9 per. He was also #1 in the SEC in steals, before the shooter who can't play defense tropes are trotted out. I have not watched all that much Reed Sheppard AT ALL and but I get the impression that some commenters have watched a whole lot less than me. Honestly suprised I havent heard Matt Maloney comparisons from someone yet, but maybe the kids don't remember him.
Notice I was careful not to say his defense overall, which has flaws. But specifically his event creation, ability to create deflections, steals, blocks which generate fast breaks, is elite.
There isn't a perfect comp for Sheppard at the moment. He doesn't look for his own shot like Curry, who was an elite scorer both on and off the ball. He doesn't pass like Nash, who was a master in utilizing both PNR and iso to create for his team. I don't think The Glove is a better comparison just because of defensive event creation. Payton didn't have three point range at all and was a lockdown man defender. He was also very ball dominant and took a ton of shots, neither of which is Sheppard's style offensively. A player that had defensive event creation, with elite shooting on not high volume, and not a score first mentality was John Stockton. Of course, that's comparing Sheppard to yet another legendary PG who holds the assist record by a few miles, which sets expectations all out of whack. A role player comparison could possibly be George Hill. Hill was a combo guard who played smart, unselfish, and efficient basketball and racked up a ton of steals every year at IUPUI. He learned to be a lead guard eventually in the NBA and had neither a shoot-first nor pass-first mentality. He was just a solid player overall. Maybe that sets the bar somewhat lower than the best point guards of all time.
I don't follow ncaa or draft prospects at all but from what I read here, sheppard has the potential to improve ball movement immediately as well on top of shooting. This could open up a lot for the Rockets. Of course the question is what is the trade off on the defensive end but still immediate contribution potential and possible high upside is a good combination.
On offensive I'm thinking Reed's best comparison is a hybrid of Ray Allen, Nash, and Reggie Miller -- of course none of those guys could jump out of the gym.
Also for those that haven't seen them beyond highlights, advanced stats and mock drafts. Here are full games of Reed you can watch to see all strengths and weaknesses. You can see role player as well as star flashes. Reed with a solid 11 assist game here: A excellent game by Reed 27 pts and great game by Dalton Knecht with 40 pts.
Its worth noting to me that while 37% from 3 is good... 52% is insane. So like Fredette shot 33% his freshman year but then popped up to 38,44, and 40... so lets jsut call it high 30s. Reed was 12%-15% higher than that. By comparison if you went the other way, high 30s down 12%-15%, your talking a 25%-28% shooter... basically the difference between an ass shooter and an incredible shooter. And that's the same difference between most of these incredible shooters and Reed, basically one of the best prospect shooters you will ever see. Maybe it struggles to translate, maybe not... in either case it seems fairly likely you have a solid 3&D PG. But then he CLEARLY - imo - has legit PG skills. Its trule just size and speed with him
Oh I was not comparing his overall game to Payton, only his defensive event creation. I have used the Stockton comp my self, although Reed doesn’t have the passing, and Stockton doesn’t have the 3pt volume.
I wouldn't put that evil on him, but place Anthony Edwards in for Jordan and I think we can call it a wrap.
Reed may have the highest IQ ever to enter the NBA -- I didn't realize he completed his undergrad and started on his masters in his single year at Kentucky. His paper on Quantum Bubbling is already being taught in elite universities around the world and fills in several unresolved mysteries of Einstein's Theory of Relativity.
Not sure why you think so. They don't even play the same position. I guess it's because you know Amen is the direct competitor of Sheppard that's why you need to turn it to Green. Sorry but at his height and wingspan PG is the only spot Sheppard can play.
