Nope - we already did this with Jalen Green and Jabari Smith. This isn't Sheppard's rookie year, this is his second season in the league and he is expected to show improvement. I expect Sheppard to play 25 minutes a night by the end of the season, but we have to stop looking at it as a rookie season. Jalen Green is entering his 5th season - he is a veteran at this point. Jabari Smith is entering his 4th season, he needs to make a leap or he is likely just a guy. This is Sheppard's second season, and he should be able to play meaningful minutes as a reserve.
this is why it's good Reed ain't playing, look at Dante getting hurt. No contact either, that's not good.
I could see this. You describe it well. He definitely launched some passes where folks were "supposed" to be.
Nah- Jalen Green played on the Rockets for four full seasons and there were still a lot of Rockets fans claiming he was young and needed more time.... brah is entering his 5th season in the NBA and 6th as a professional. Amen has been a favorite of fans since early on in his rookie season - and was praised (rightfully so) last year because of his sophomore jump last year. As for Jabari, not as much is said about him, but he also was from day 1 behind Green in the pecking order. If Reed Sheppard isn't the primary back up guard and playing 20-25 minutes a night, you will see fans turn on him and rightfully so.
That's DEFINITELY a thing and it's how my right knee got completely blown up the first time. It wasn't in football or baseball that I played competitively, it was playing some recreational pick up basketball with try hard little kids. Interestingly enough, that's how Tank Dell got injured last season...by his own teammate. It was some 8th stringer scrub that had no business ever being on the field to begin with who ran a poor route and ended up in the wrong place taking out Dell's knee. His career is potentially over as a result.
I'm jealous! Hope you posterized him. I think he's quoted as saying he was 6'4 3/4" which checks out. He may have shrunk now that he's 60+...
Charles Barkley is insanely strong. He is a big man, but he is twice as strong as you would think - he is just naturally a monster when it comes to strength and balance. He told me that from a raw strength standpoint that no one was able to really bully him in the NBA head-to-head. I brought up his issues with Karl Malone, and he told me that wasn't a strength issue but a skill issue - that Shaq and Armon Gilliam were the two strongest players he encountered and that Shaq was the one guy that he physically did not like playing against because the next day he would be sore.
Reed should've played more games.. he doesn't look ready at all to take over backup PG minutes. Jalen Green in year 1 looks more offensive ready than Reed Sheppard in year 2. Maybe it's Stone's fault for even drafting him as a PG, maybe he's an undersized SG. Also, not a good sign the SL Rockets look more competitive without Reed on the court. Like KD said recently in his podcast with LeBron, undersized guards don't have a place in today's league unless you can play defense. All I've seen from Reed so far is he gambles on defense to make up for his lack of size but when the gamble doesn't pay off, his man just gets a free layup.
NFaly Dante should be out for a awhile. Out for Summer League, who cares about these Games. NFaly Dante should rehab and get ready for RGV. Literally 4 Centers above him. Sengun, Adams, Capela, Smith
We needed scoring he should have been getting some minutes if Cam wasn't....I hate how Ime overvalues defense and undervalues offense. Great offense beats great defense all day every day........ BALANCE wins rings. DD
The expectation out of second year Reed is that he looks like a competent backup and the heir apparent to Fred. If he doesnt, Ime will not hesitate to bring in someone else either at the deadline or next offseason. Unlike Jalen who was given a million miles of runway he proceeded to run off of into a gaggle of trees, the Rockets are no longer in developmental mode to give Reed the same luxury. Amen and Sengun are *it* and if Reed isnt who he needs to be they'll find someone else. Players like Reed and Jalen arent tall enough or big enough to be afforded time on a team vying for a title. Its why Jalen is gone and Jabari is not.
