I don't think Shepard getting minutes has anything to do with Cam, they are totally different players playing different positions. Shepard is a point guard that can shoot & create for others. Cam is a 2-3 that can't really create but can finish possessions with buckets - in the flow of the offense. We will likely see them share the court together quite often. Jalen's play will have a bigger impact on Cam's minutes than anything else.
I have to disagree with you on Shepard being a disapointment. Sure, he hasn't shot the 3 well ..... but he has literally done everything else better than was expected. Defense, passing, mid range & facilitating. The sample size is very small .... 11 total shots from 3. Lets not get ahead of ourselves here and act like he has 3 years of history shooting .33 or something.
He just wants to complain about Reed. Jabari's issues weren't just his shooting. I think Reed is the most advanced offensive player (out of the box) we've drafted outside of Sengun. His defense (specifically his PoA) has been stellar. His mid range incredible. He can make every pass. He can hit every shot. Like....all of them. Anyone that complains about Reed right now you should just play the sound from Charlie Brown where adults are talking. Basically the same thing.
So you haven't been paying attention at all my rose colored glasses wearing friend. I just haven't seen this outstanding at everything else Reed that you are mentioning. Reed has regressed since SL. At least then he was scoring. Because of scoring woes his preseason has been so so, barely. My hope is that he doesn't continue this trend while in the G-league. Because they play professional defense down there too. It's not looking good at all for that so-called 3pt shooting dominance.
Damn can you let the kid make his actual NBA debut first before labeling him disappointing? He can have a game where he goes 7/9 from 3 and suddenly everything you said becomes irrelevant. Just let him find his way first.
Shooting slightly above the PF average from 3 will make Jabari nothing more than a journeyman player in the NBA. Coming into the NBA, his calling cards were elite defense and elite 3-point shooting. After two seasons, he isn't close to elite at anything.
HE WAS 20 LAST SEASON. Why are people just ignoring that fact? How do you think he compared to other 20 yr old PFs?
What's laughable is having no context when judging a player. Bari was excellent last season considering his age.
I agree 100%. His shooting does not concern me at all. You have to look at the nuances of the game. His misses aren't way off or as a result of them being bad shots. They're just off or just back of the rim, and they're all reasonably good shots. He runs the offense relatively well, and contributes within the flow of the game. One of the biggest adjustments for any rookies is the stamina it takes to play in the NBA - not just the speed of the game with world class athletes, but just that it's every other day, it's 82 games, it's being on the road all the time. His legs aren't there. It might take the full season for his stamina to get there, but I'm not worried about Reed at all. We got a good one. Just manage your expectations, he's not gonna lit the world on fire. He won't win ROY (sorry), but he will be a very solid contributor in his rookie season and has a chance to develop into something special in the years to come
Hitting shots comes and goes for young players. The averages will eventually settle down. I wasn't worried about Jabari's shooting when he struggled in his first year. I'm not going to worry about Reed's shooting for at least a year. Intelligence is what always translatable. Smart guys with good feel of the game will always figure out how to play winning ball with the tools they have.
The thing with Bari is not his shooting but him being timid or not assertive enough when it really matters.
Jabari is going into his 3rd year. Based on the preseason, his "trajectory" appears to be somewhere between flat to downward and his confidence looks shaky. If this continues, his minutes and role will decline this year. I've said many times there will be at least two losers among the Rockets youngsters. If injuries don't shake things up, Cam and Jabari are #1 and #2 most likely IMO. We'll find out when the real games begin.
Agreed. I like the comparison that Jackson Gatlin used comparing his minutes this year to how Gerald Green was used under Dantoni. If he comes in and he's playing really well he'll get more time. Especially if one of the wings is struggling. If he comes in and hes playing poorly he could see some second half dnp's. Especially if other guys have it going.
If you are an athlete, you can turn a bad situation into a decent one...... The success of the Rockets could provide those 'losers' with situations and tenure on another team.
Something that also hasnt been mentioned much is that Reed has been dealing with back issues. Anyone that has dealt with back issues knows how hard it is to just function and exist, let alone trying to shoot a basketball. Hopefully with this rest period he heals up and we see his full capabilities.
