Nah bro you asking the wrong questions. Is he Steph Curry with hops? Or is he the second coming of Steve Nash? /S
Even bolder is all the "ultra high iq" that appears nowhere in any of his scouting reports. People really are trying to hype this guy as a new CP/Nash, he's a tiny SG who can connect basic passes...
From two scouting reports.: ... with incredible instincts...Mentally strong...makes rapid decisions in the half court....production, shooting and basketball IQ A tiny SG who can connect basic passes must be an ultra high iq player to do what he did in college. Edit: To be clear, I think Reed should be considered at No. 3, but don't think it is a slam dunk decision.
He is a good passer and decisionmaker for an off-ball guy, but yeah I don't see some kind of basketball ultra-genius when I watch him play
Such a great player that he scored a wopping 3 points in the NCAA Tournament. His dad played in the NBA and was nothing special. Dillingham will be the better player to take, but not at three.
No they don't. False logic if I ever saw it. What did Reed do outside of "advanced metrics" and 3p% that was so insane in college? Where's all the awards? Where's the consensus #1 pick? His college career isn't that impressive, and players with MASSIVELY more impressive college careers became roleplayers in the NBA. Ultra high iq players do more than catch and shoot and pass out of most contested situations or moments where he'd have to beat the man on the dribble. Don't get it twisted, I want us to pick Sheppard at 3, I just want us to do so with realistic expectations for a sharpshooting undersized SG who doesn't project to be any kind of star in the NBA. It's ridiculous that people are hyping him as Nash/CP3/Curry, when he's not even really played the point.
Context. He's a freshman playing behind an established guy and sharing the floor with a fellow blue chip freshman prospect in a powerhouse program. No, I don't think he is some kind of generational basketball genius. But you seem to be working hard to dismiss him just as hard as those who hype him up. And no, he's didn't just do catch and shoot. That's the most common misrepresentation of his game by his detractors. They just assume that a guy who can put up 50%+ 3pt shooting must be just a spot up shooter. Watch the tapes. Don't just throw out stereotype criticism.
Nope. Things false is like saying scouting reports don't mention his IQ. Advanced metrics is a fancy way of saying this guy makes a big impact. I think it is obvious Sheppard made a big impact on both offense and defense with and without looking at advanced metrics. On why he isn't number one, he is incredibly light in the tools department. You discussing a guy with his lack of tools other than shooting is evident that he likely has a high IQ. His three point shoot has little to do with how Kentucky went from a cluster**** on defense with Wagner in the game and a better than average team defensively with Sheppard. Either say Sheppard has amazing tools or that he has a high IQ. There is absolutely no other way to make that big of an impact on the game without one or the other even with the incredible three point shot. If he makes it in the NBA, it will largely be on IQ and shooting. If he fails, it will be on tools.
I watched the tapes, he mostly shot catch and shoot 3's and got a lot of risky steals. I didn't see anything that remotely suggested he'd be a generational PG the likes of Curry, Nash or CP3. Like I said, I WANT TO DRAFT SHEPPARD, I just think y'all are hyping yourselves into nonsensical hyperbole. The man's main comp is KIRK HINRICH ffs, 11ppg and 5apg for his career. Just stop the overhype.
And I think that’s a pretty damn good ceiling. Hinrich was a good NBA player for years. I was going to say a more athletic version of Jeff Hornacek, who was also a good player. Reed will be a good pro, I just don’t see Stockton or Nash ( MVP level). But he definitely should be considered at 3, I don’t know if it’s the no brainer that others do.
You can ignore the ridiculous hype, you know, like Jalen Green is the next Kobe kind of thing. No he is not just a spot up shooter. If that's what you see in the tapes, then you must be wearing some weird glasses. He doesn't do fancy passes like Sengun does if that's the standard for "good passer." But he makes the right pass. FVV doesn't do fancy passes either. But he is top 10 in assists on a bad shooting team. That's because he has high IQ knowing when and where to pass. That's all you want for a good PG. And if he can also shoot at an elite level, that's a high value player you want to keep.
I don't know if "phenomenal basketball IQ" is the same as "ultra high IQ." Plus Vecenie did throw out some Nash comps, so maybe he's someone people don't like...for reasons. FWIW, I think Topic and Sheppard have the best IQ/feel/processing/etc in the top of this draft, and I'd probably put them near the top of the tier of (young) guys in HOU. I'd probably put Amen and Sengun ahead overall for multiple reasons (if nothing else, their ability to actually utilize their IQ/feel), but I think either of these prospects could be immediately better than most of the other guys. I don't know if that says more about them or the other guys though. I think both prospects have questions that could majorly impact their effectiveness in the NBA, but I do think both are fairly gifted in the basketball IQ department.
In a draft that people are calling historically weak the expectations for a player that I haven't seen mocked higher than 3 so far shouldn't be too high. Don't expect Curry, CP3 or Nash. There always is an outside chance of something like that happening, but the chance is very small. Expect a role player. Then be happy when turns out a little bit better than that. I believe he will come in and hit shots. Not at 50%, probably not at 40% - but maybe at 37-38%. I expect him to hustle on defense and regularly do the right pass on offense. I expect him to look similar to TJ McConnell for example, just that I'd expect him to shoot around 4 threes a game compared to TJs 0.6. Personally I'd be happy with that. I know, that his ceiling is higher than that - but getting a glue kind of guy that hits his shots and is a net positive in almost every facet of the game sounds good to me. If you want to swing for the fences to get a star, I think drafting Risacher, Topic or even Buzelis have a higher chance at that. But all of them have a way higher bust potential as well.
Guys, I emailed Adam Silver and he said there is a scheduled patch releasing in the next week or two that will help re-balance the draft. Guys like Rob, Reed, etc., will all grow 2-3 inches and add appropriate weight. Every prospect will receive a 5-10 point boost to their 3pt shooting. Castle will correctly be assigned the wing position instead of the mistaken PG position. They're discussing adding a 3rd Thompson too. I'm feeling confident that this draft will be pretty good after the patch.
Did you know that Michael Jordan scored 6 points as a freshman in his first NCAA tournament game and his dad was nothing special as a basketball player? These "flaws" did not stop the Chicago Bulls from drafting Jordan at #3 in the 1984 draft. https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/michael-jordan-1/gamelog/1982
