It doesn't matter bro, you're just so microscopic on it right now. There are so many people who struggled in this situation and then made it, tons of examples have been posted already. Getting garbage time minutes, taking rapid 3's coming off the bench cold is not real basketball. He's barely played outside that situation. Dude if he was playing 36 minutes per game for the Wizards and was struggling first 10-12 games would you panic and change your whole projection? Or just minor adjustments to expectations? That's how many minutes he's played. Like 12 games worth of basketball with chemistry-less teammates. No matter what we think, the sample size is scientifically unacceptable for drawing strong conclusions. It's not even good enough to HINT something. The error margin allows it to even be the opposite of the truth. You get that right? He can still become anything between a 25% 3PT% and a 45% 3PT% just like the day he was drafted. Don't panic. He's 1 year less developed than we were expecting. Whatever you were expecting right now, just expect it in February 2026. I don't love it but it happens. I don't get the idea that since he didn't pop when we predicted then the only possibility is it will never happen. He/we will be alright.
I hope you're right and I'm wrong. There's also no question that players sometimes struggle early. I'm just concerned that his shot isn't dropping and he doesn't have confidence. Ime not giving him consistent playing time probably hasn't helped
I feel you. I think Ime and Stone oversold us on his intangibles and readiness. He's just a raw prospect. Maybe I'm crazy but give me a player with a shooting confidence issue over a player who simply can't shoot. Confidence is free, easy and turns around quickly. Skills and habits take a long time. It will be tough for him to make an impact this season simply because even a good defender at his weight would get pushed out of the way in the NBA. We can't dock him points for that. He will put on muscle and be fine eventually as a muscular 6'2 PG. I can see him surprising us with shooting for a stretch this season, but it would only be a streak. Not sure if he'll get the minutes to do it, but Jalen did it post-ASB when he was an erratic and skinny rookie, then I think Reed can get hot from 3 too.
100% this. When discussing Reed we really should all think "13th-15th pick" because that's likely where he gets picked an the average draft year. That being said he's coming along more slowly than I would have liked, but he IS a rook and super young so I'm being patient. If he had totally bombed and shown nothing in his short G league stint I'd be concerned, but he clearly showed he doesn't belong there even if his NBA future is still TBD. HIs shooting mechanics still look very good and he's at least started to get more aggressive in taking shots. He'll always be size limited but he's more athletic than I initially thought and my hope is that (if he's as smart as they say) he can learn some crafty Stockton like ways to make up for his size.
Nah. Getting picked 3rd is pretty consequential from a money perspective. He's making 10m a year to learn his craft at a higher level. Waiting another 2 years would have just cost him a bunch of money and he probably been in a deeper draft.
Yes no doubt. If he had stayed in college this year and played even a little better, he probably would be maybe 15th in a strong draft like this. It is probably the only draft in decades that he would have been taken that high.
I completely agree. I think he came out too early. The mechanics are there, but his head is not. He is intimidated by the size and speed of the pro game. I think a year or two more of experience would have made the transition smoother. I still like his future.
It is good for him for personal reason but not good for the team that drafted him. I blame Sheppard for taking the guaranteed 30M when people are hyping him up as the 2nd Curry.
The team that drafted him was fully aware that he might not be a contributor this year and said as much right after the draft.
With Reed, I just think it unrealistic for him to make an impact early. Shooting rarely translates year one and I don’t think that the team is doing a good job of putting them in the right spot offensively. That being said, knowing he isn’t going to play much I can kind of understand the lack of planning. He is obviously physically and mentally overwhelmed right now. I would like him to finish the year in the G league or we commit to playing him 15 to 20 minutes a game.
Stone said "He can really shoot and pass". Pretty sure he wasnt expecting 1 ast and 27% from 3. Unless a player has sky high upside and is injured you dont take a guy who wont contribute at all top 3. https://www.si.com/nba/rockets/news...ard-there-is-a-lot-to-like-rockets-news-draft Sheppard was voted as most likely to win ROY prior to the season all these "it was always expected he would take years to develop" arguments are just cope and revisionist history.
This is misleading, though. He got those votes because he looked like far and away the best rookie coming out of Vegas with most of the discussion around whether he'd be able to get the minutes it typically takes to win ROY. Right after the draft he wasn't really expected to compete for ROY because most knew he'd have a hard time getting the minutes a typical ROY-contender gets.
You think a guy that shot 50% from 3 at Kentucky suddenly forgot how to shoot? You really think he's going to stay shooting 30%? His defense has been much better as of late. That's what Ime is after. His shooting is irrelevant right now. He'll be a 40% shooter at the minimum soon enough. It's the other stuff that's more important than that right now.
Not saying he can't turn it around but lots of good shooters in college flop in the NBA. Jimmer Fredette, Adam Morrison, Johnny Davis etc At this point showing his college nos doesnt mean anything because he isnt in college anymore, he is in the NBA. also Sheppard isnt shooting 30% he is shooting 27%. Shooting 30% would be an improvement and a significant one at that. Third you are wrong his shooting is what Ime is after. We drafted him to shoot, if we wanted a defender we would have drafted Ryan Dunn instead. Sheppard will never be an elite lock down defender, people expected him to be an elite shooter though thats why he got picked top 3.
You know, watching that video, I note a funny hitch in his set shot / jumper. It goes along with his little head tilt, and as a proponent of smooth, aligned shooting form... that worries me a tiny bit.
How is that misleading? NBA GMs were polled and Sheppard got no 1 on that poll. That meant people thought he was NBA ready and was gonna contribute as a backup at the minimum with playing time gonna be his only hindrance. Obviously this isnt the case now he is not playing cuz his performance is bad not that there isnt playing time available. Remember the spin now is people always thought he'd be a project and will take years to contribute. That wasnt the case at all predraft in fact lots of posters here wanted FVV gone asap and Sheppard to be the starter day 1.
