Ultimately it’s the synergy that he provides. Creating a better whole as a team bringing the best out of his teammates. I’m sure someone could break it down and help me change my mind. But I can’t think of a quality he doesn’t posses that makes him the perfect addition to the team except for 3 things foot speed, height, and wingspan
Summer League performances just show if the talent is there. I saw Jalen in summer league game 1, it was obvious the talent was there. I would say the same with Shepard. The big thing is he is a fit in the system because we really need another point guard who can shoot. He seems to be a pretty smart player which is important for the long run.
I'm going to be extremely disappointed if Sheppard's not a star player right off the bat. Jalen's inconsistent, sure, but he still has superstar performances (more than out entire team, including FVV combine in their careers) so if Sheppard's better than him day one that's at least an all-star right off the bat. Instant contenders!
He will develop into a slightly better Austin Reaves. If you are expecting him to be our Nash you are wrong.
Not true, didn't you know that "that's what everyone on CF thinks" is an unbreakable law of the universe? Sheppard's going to be Nash meets Curry meets CP3 with a more lethal shot, better than Jalen day 1 and our second best prospect after Amen!
Not my assertion, take it up with the several members who've declared/guaranteed that Reed will be better than Jalen day 1.
My impression of Sheppard after SL: 1. Fit with our roster: perfect, a force multiplier 2. Shooting: form is solid, he'll be great but not 52% 3. Court vision: much better than our SGs, can play PG 4. Hands/anticipation: outstanding 5. Defensive rotation: sharp, well ahead of most rookies 6. On-ball defense: bad, needs a ton of work, please learn from Fred 7. Handle: not ready for NBA 8. Size: highly exploitable, both inside and outside 9. Fit with Udoka: can't guard multiple positions, but can be a floor general Ime trusts Overall: Maybe in another draft, you'd hope at #3 to get somebody with more upside or fewer weaknesses. But if you look at this class and ask "Who would help our team the most," it's almost certainly this guy.
I think the low 3 pt percentage is likely due to tired legs. Many of the turnovers were due to trying to make passes that teammates were not ready for playing in a very unstructured offense. I do not see either issue translating into the regular season when he should be in much better shape from camp and the offense will be structured. He will also be playing with MUCH better teammates. You pointed out the negatives and failed to mention the positives He shot great from 3 in game one before the tired legs set in. His mid range game is money in the bank and the way he controls the floor is like a veteran especially when you consider the unorganized group of lower talent players he was on the floor with. The best trait is he seemed to learn each game as the game was going on making adjustments for the way he was being defended and thus getting better each game as they progressed. His B-ball IQ is off the charts like Alpi. Those two will form a very solid foundation for this team for the next decade plus.
To be clear Reed showed a lot in the summer league in terms of creativity, control, pace etc. But for every "excuse" like having worse teammates around him to not catch passes, there is a counter like bigger, higher IQ, more athletic defenders in the NBA to where the same passing lanes that might have been open in the summer league close much faster in a NBA game so we have to see if he can adjust to those smaller windows or windows closing much faster.
I agree 100%. He will have to prove he can do it at the higher level. He will likely have a few bumps in the road but I suspect he will adjust quickly. He is too good not to.
