If Sarr dropped to 3, I think we would have more legitimate suitors in a trade. He won’t though. He has the highest ceiling of any player in the draft and NBA execs love them some potential.
This is completely false. There are many things that aren't captured on a stat sheet which is why there are all these noisy catch-all advanced stats to attempt to approximate what is currently not captured on a stat sheet. But, that's not even where I was going with the stat sheet comment. I just meant that you can watch them (Sheppard and Steph) play and realize that they occupy completely different roles and have completely different skillsets. You can see it within a few short possessions. It would be like saying Grayson Allen is on Devin Booker's level. Sure he shoots more efficiently and plays better defense but he couldn't continue to shoot that efficiently if he had the same offensive burden as Booker. Similarly, if Reed Sheppard could efficiently average 21.5ppg as a freshman and drop 30pts in the NCAA tournament like Steph did, he would have. If he could do it, he would! And, I like Reed Sheppard. It's just comparing him to Steph because he shoots the ball efficiently on low volume is doing him a disservice. He may go on to have a fine career, even become an all star. But, his current play has not resembled Curry at the same experience level, not even close.
The false assumption you are making is that they were only capable of doing the roles they were given when the reality is that they had different roles based on their circumstances. Steph Curry was on a mid major team full of scrubs, so his role was DRASTICLALY different from day one than Reed Sheppard's role on a team stacked with talent. If Steph Curry had been on a team next to Rob Dillingham as a freshman, his role would have been different than it was on a team surrounded by nobodies....especially when you factor in that Steph's 1 to 1 assist to turnover ratio as a freshman. Put Sheppard on a mid-major surrounded by nobodies and his role changes to one where he dominates the ball like Curry did and his stats would inflate as a result.
Sure, Grayson Allen has also never been given the opportunity to be the main option on a team in the nba either...why doesn't someone just give him a chance? Wait, we don't have to do that because we can just watch the games and see what skills they do and don't have. At Kentucky, Sheppard did not display the ball handling ability to be a primary option. He regularly got stood up and couldn't get by his man. He was forced to pass to Dillingham because he was incapable of getting into the paint regularly. I'm not assuming what players can and can't do. I'm watching what they do on the court when given the opportunity. You can't just extrapolate TS%, if that was the case Knicks Steve Novak was a few extra touches away from being Dirk. But, maybe you're right, Sheppard may have skills that he has not displayed in college. I'm just saying he hasn't shown that ability.
I guess you're forgetting what we're comparing, Shepard was a better ball handler his freshman season than Curry was as a freshman. I get that you only want to make absurd comparisons to white players who were fringe NBA talents... but you really should look beyond Shepard's skin color even if it's difficult for you.
It should also be mentioning that Steph was averaging 9 3's a game in 2008...when it basically unheard of and unspeakable to do so... Sheppard's lowly 4 takes a game in 2024 is somewhat concerning.
He wasn’t the man. That team had multiple guards promised roles of significance. I think Shepp blew the doors off and earned his role. I hate to say I agree with every word on this Bobby has spoken. At his floor, Sheppard provides space for Sengun, Cam and Amen. Maybe even Green if he finds consistency.
I mean it's a pretty obvious pick with Risacher off the board at 3.. If Zacherrie is there though then it becomes a lot tougher of a decision. But the fit is so darn obvious, the interview answers, and the professionalism... I don't see a world that Ime doesn't like what Reed is going to offer. The fit around Amen + Sengun is just too good not to go with and it's a day 1 plug and play. Sheppard - Green - Amen - Jabari - Sengun is a very nice future core with Tari/Whitmore off the bench. That's a dangerous and exciting team that offers a ton of flexibility and a lot of matchup possibilities. Only holes really is an athletic shot-blocking big but those are a dime-a-dozen and we can easily grab one with one of our Brooklyn picks in the upcoming drafts.
What I liked about that Miss St game is that Reed was wanting the ball on the last possession. That, as much as anything, bodes well for him in the NBA.
https://clutchpoints.com/2024-nba-mock-draft-2-0-hawks-considering-zaccharie-risacher-over-alex-sarr 3. Houston Rockets – PG/SG Reed Sheppard – Kentucky The first change from my 2024 NBA Mock Draft 1.0 to this Mock Draft 2.0 is Reed Sheppard moving up two spots and finding his way to the Houston Rockets. Ime Udoka and the Rockets want to win right now. In addition to being aggressive in trades this offseason, where this third overall pick will be shopped, the Rockets are going to want to add a dynamic player who can immediately help them on the offensive side of the ball if they keep this selection. Sheppard is arguably the best shooting weapon in this draft, and his ability to play with or without the ball in his hands makes him a valuable backcourt piece next to Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, and Amen Thompson. What makes Sheppard such a special player for a team like Houston is his mentality of always giving it his all and never backing down. Those are the types of players Udoka wants playing for him, which is why Sheppard could help this team win and get back to the playoffs right away. Should the Rockets trade this selection, a team would likely move up with the mindset of grabbing Clingan from UConn, assuming both Sarr and Risacher are off the board. 44. Houston Rockets – PF Izan Almansa – G League Ignite The Rockets are going to likely add one more big man to their frontcourt this offseason, with Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams both coming off of injuries. Izan Almansa is a high-upside swing given his youth and defensive abilities. More of a power forward than a center, the 6'9″ big man has great footwork in the low post and can be tough to stop from crashing the glass on either end of the court. He is still a work in progress, and will likely spend a year or two developing before he is ready to compete in the NBA on a nightly basis. Spoiler •“Sarr is still at the forefront of the Hawks' minds.” •“At this moment in time, Risacher could truly be who the Hawks are targeting.” •“Sheppard, Rob Dillingham, and Stephon Castle are all in consideration for the Spurs, as is Serbian guard Nikola Topic. … As far as this fourth pick goes, the Spurs are very high on the two Kentucky guards — Sheppard and Dillingham. If he is on the board, San Antonio will have a lot of interest in taking Sheppard, sources said.” •“The Portland Trail Blazers and Grizzlies also hold strong interest in Clingan, league sources said.” •“There has been more and more talk about Salaun rising up NBA Draft boards in recent weeks, possibly even being in play for the Pistons with the fifth overall pick.”
Rockets Draft Day 9/11 would be Sarr and Sheppard off the board with the first two picks. I will jump for joy if Risacher goes #1 like I did when Charlotte picked Brandon Miller.
I think the lizards are the perfect team for 2nd if the rockets want Sheppard. I would have to look at the list of teams. But it can’t be many teams that would be less likely to take Sheppard than the Wizards.
What separates Steph and Ray Allen from guys like Kerr, Paxson, and Reggie Miller is ball handling. The most underrated part of hoops, especially in the NBA is using your handle to gain separation. If you can't do that, guys will crowd you and that so called effective shot goes down. I'm not sure I see Reed with that skill set. That's kinda the issue with Jabari Jr and he'd 6'10. Look at the the way Banchero gets his shot vs Smith Jr
Reggie Miller's different type of player. I mean it's possibly a product of being an older generation that don't shoot 3s as much, but Miller's game looks more like Kevin Martin's. A lot of fakes and got to the line way more than you'd expect from a shooter. I'm not sure Sheppard can be that kind of player. At least he hasn't shown that in college.
Miller and Steph are similar with their relentless off ball movement to get an open look -- definitely different players, but they have some important fundamental skills they share that make them great.
Brandon Miller should become much better than Zaccarie R. And proven to be much more efficient than a so called Scoot Henderson.
Somewhere in the middle of the 2 Currys while a great fit is also one of the most common players in the NBA, we can find lots of free agents who fit that archetype no need to waste a top 3 pick for that. Hell we even have FVV and Aaron Holiday right now who are also between the 2 Currys. There's also Malcolm Brogdon, Tyus Jones, GP 2, Jose Alverado, Patty Mills etc. All of these would be would be good fits but wouldn't be worth a top 3 pick. Good shooting pgs are a dime a dozen we don't need to waste a top 3 pick for that.
