After seeing the great speculation regarding Sheppard, and to a lesser extent Whitmore, after 3-4 games of Summer League ball, I've decided that some context to Summer League needs to be added. Here's how the last few Rockets' rookies have fared in SL. 2024- Reed Sheppard: 20-5-5 with 4 stocks on 58% from 2 and 28% from 3. 2023- Amen Thompson (1 game): 16-4-5 with 7 stocks on 41% from 2 and making 1 of 1 three pointers. Cam Whitmore: 19-5-2 with 3 stocks on 45% from 2 and 29% from 3, won SL MVP 2022- Jabari Smith Jr.: 14-9-2 with 3 stocks on 54% from 2 and 26% from 3 Tari Eason: 17-10-1.5 with 3 stocks on 49% from 2 and 33% from 3 2021: - Jalen Green: 20-4-2 with .3 stocks on 50% from 2 and 53% from 3 Alperen Sengun: 14-11-3 with 4 stocks on 44% from 2 and 38% from 3 Josh Christopher (lol): 17-4-4 with 2 stocks on 53% from 2 and 18% from 3 Something else to note, the only rookies to maintain a positive assist-to-turnover ratio are Alperen, Amen, and Reed. Take from this what you will, but the only guy to put up amazing numbers is probably the one the fanbase has the least confidence in going forward.
I dare anybody to go back and view comments on Jalen Green during his SL stint he was Kobe with MJ mindset…a definite “league leader in scoring” one day…he was HIM
What were Jabari Smith's numbers in 2023? These are probably the most amazing numbers in recent SLs. 35.5 ppg (49% 34%3fg 85%ft) 7rpg 4apg 1.5 stocks 2.5 tpg (positive assist to turnover ratio) Last season he set an expectation bar, but then we realised "it was only Summer League"* *seriously hoping he busts out like that this season in the NBA - but expectations are tempered!!
Are you talking about Sheppard or Green? One shot way better from 3 and the other had more assists but otherwise looks roughly equal to me. Also Cam is an MVP last year and taking it easy this year. His numbers are just a hair below Reed and Jalen. Most importantly this can't possibly tell us everything because it's missing half the game (defense). Amen, Tari, Jabari played great defense and that's very translatable to the NBA. It's literally exactly as important as offense. Have to factor it in. Sheppard was one of the better defenders overall, some positional issues, excellent stocks. Overall he's definitely up there.
Yeah I don't know what the intention of the OP is here, but unfortunately it reeks of trolling or trying to start a whole thing regarding Green (vs. Reed). These stats don't mean much since the way they play, move and everything is key to judging the players' performances. Green didn't look nearly as mature, confident and solid fundamentally as Reed does. He just didn't, especially on defense. I remember he got crossed up by Cade and looked dreadful. Sure, he could score, but outside of that I don't remember people actually being that confident based on his SL performance. Definitely not like they are with Reed now, so not sure what OP is basing that on. I could be wrong.
It’s fun to see them play but the whole 10 fouls thing is a bit overboard. I get you want them to play but they basically can foul a player every time down the court. Something that will not happen in a normal game. I get it’s cool seeing them be aggressive but it’s not a one for one. No doubt some players benefit in SL because of this others not so much.
Explain confident and mature. Jalen really didn't play much. He got injured in his 3rd game? I don't recall. Reed fortunately will enter a situation where he isn't asked to do what Jalen did when he was asked to do his first few years.
In the context of Summer League he did fine and showed off some real skill and feel for the game. Beyond the stats and performance though the real issue I have is how small he is. To be a point guard at that size in the nba you don’t have to just be really good. You have to elite skills and athleticism. I didn’t quite see the court vision and passing ability that you saw right away with other great undersized point guards of past. Otherwise he looked good all things considered. Didn’t shoot a good 3pt percentage but he also wasn’t able to shoot many open shots. Most in the last 2 games were the definition of a bad shot. Turnovers were a big issue. I expect that’ll change when he’s not the sole target of the defensive scheme and isn’t running the offense all the time. Solid role player shooter/scorer/ floor spacer off the bench at minimum. Top 3 lottery talent… ehh… not really but this draft looks historically bad in a far too early hot take sense. I don’t blame Stone at all for taking him and think he’ll be fun to watch play with the big league after he spends some time in the valley. I expect Aaron Holiday will initially beat him out in the rotation, but he’ll get minutes after Christmas I’m sure.
And in 5 years, those takes will have aged a lot better than "Sengun is a future MVP" and "Reed is CP3 with a more lethal shot."
TyTy Washington 5 gms....30.0 (3P%)....3.8 (Ast)....3.6 (Rebs).....2.20 (Stocks).....1.4 (TOV)...[ 26.5 mins] ......................................4.8 (Ast)...[ Projected to 33 mins......Reed 4.75 (TOV)@ 33 mins] But like comparing era to era, it can be difficult. Not sure why we would expect one of the worst draft classes to put out top level summer league competition across the board?
Bradley Beal was half a point from winning a scoring title. Honestly, even if Jalen never sniffs the Kobe comps, he still has a shot at something like a scoring title. I'm not even saying it's going to be on the Rockets but that definitely is still within the cards for Jalen.
Those Jabari drives with zero lift work in SL, but my god do they get snuffed out in the NBA. In SL he looks like Giannis.
Not only are the Sheppard stats wrong, but I like how you completely omit scoring. TyTy put up 9 PPG, shooting 44% from 2 and 30% from 3.
You got me, I was the master baiter the whole time. More so trying to point out how what Reed was doing wasn't much different to the previous rookies, what is interesting his how it seems like everyone forgot how to shoot 3s in SL, with the exception of the players who can't hit threes at a decent rate right now (except for Christopher, that dude was hopeless).
Man, I remember the start of that SL game. Jalen trying to take on Cade on the defensive end and getting manhandled .... within two possessions Josh Christopher replaced him defending Cade and promptly took Cade's lunch money. What a terrible draft that was .....
