I am fine with Topic at #3 if it works out that way - but the three point percentage isn't the only difference between Topic and Sheppard. On the defensive end, Sheppard is light years better and Sheppard is also better in the PNR (although Topic is very good). I have had Topic at the top of my personal board for 6 months. I like him a lot, but there are some genuine reasons to prefer Sheppard.
I think I might be willing to take my chances on another Kentucky G. I mean look at the last 5 or 6 that have come from there that didnt have a lot of fanfare while in college but are turning out to be really good Pro Gs (D Fox, SGA, D Booker, J Murray, T Maxey, T Herro,..) Calipari may have been on to something with these guys. He didn't use them correctly, or something, but they all seem to be turning into really good pros.. Sheppard doesnt need to be the greatest athlete to be effective. We need shooting in the worst way, and he fits that bill. He is a competitive guy and plays smart. His analytics look good. I guess we will see how the rest of the combine goes and his visits go.
Why is height an issue this year? It wasn't an issue last year when many posters wanted us to trade our assets to move up and get Scoot. Defense is not our issue last year, it's offense. We need shooting more than anything. I'm not saying we should draft fit over BPA, but I feel like Reed is the BPA at 3 and fit for us. He's not going to be the best defender, but he won't be a defensive liability while being able to stretch the floor for Jalen, Sengun and Amen.
I agree with this - but I will just say that I am not someone that usually over hypes prospects - but the deeper I look at the tape of Sheppard, the more I believe that not only is he a great fit for the Rockets at #3, but it is possible that he could not be there at #3, as crazy as that sounds. Sheppard essentially played point guard for Kentucky during the key parts of big games. He also wanted the ball in his hands at the end of games, and would defer - he was a good teammate - but clearly wanted the ball. He also showed the ability to get to the basket and he finishes well in traffic. My concern based on his early season performance was that he couldn't break down defenders - but by the end of the year he was. Now, he didn't do it the same way that Jordan or Harden did - but he did it. He tended to do it with movement around him and he did it farther from the basket, but that isn't a shocker when you consider that his defender had to pick him up thirty feel from the basket. Sheppard also was exceptional in transition - and while he isn't as creative a passer as say Ricky Rubio or Jason Williams - he still passes really well, and he anticipates what his teammates are going to do very well. The only real drawbacks are the limited number of shots he took, and a lot of that happened when he deferred or Kentucky didn't look for him. At this point, that is my biggest concern - even more than his height, because he will eventually be the ball handler for the team he goes to - he is too good at it not to be. If he had spent the season playing in Australia or in Europe, I think that the discussion would be different than him playing at Kentucky with a coach that only halfway was involved and surrounded by other guards.
Height is an issue if you are not sure Sheppard is a point guard or a shooting guard. Also - Henderson is a lot bigger and has a long wingspan.... but even with that, there are concerns about whether or not Scoot will be "hunted" by teams on the defensive side in the playoffs.
I agree with all of these takes actually. Doesn't mean they won't be good players, but these are fair questions.
Draft: Reed Sheppard Trade out: Brooks, Tate Trade in: Isaac, Thybulle Sign or trade: Cheap vet lob threat and shot blocker, cheap vet big 3&D SG/PG C: Sengun, Adams, Landale PF: Smith, Isaac, cheap bigman SF: Eason, Whitmore, Thybulle SG: Green, Sheppard, cheap big guard PG: VanVleet, Thompson
That's funny that you mentioned the possibility of Sheppard being gone by #3, I was getting ready to post the same thing. The huge vertical opened some eyes. If he goes to Washington and puts on a shooting clinic then he could be gone at #2. Right now, without trading Murray or Young, he's not likely a candidate for Atlanta.
I went to get food and drinks with a friend who's an ex-Rocket. These are just his thoughts (so he says), but here are tidbits of some of the things we talked about: Obviously the Rockets are moving forward with phase 3 and want an All-Star on the roster before next season starts. Lots of scenarios at play, but picking 3rd puts them in a much better position to upgrade the team. "If a star player's available before or during the draft the Rockets will probably have to include the #3 pick in a package." There's a star player who wants to be a Rocket but he couldn't tell me who. He said he thinks Rockets front office and Udoka want Risacher and hope he falls to #3 (if they don't trade back or out of the draft). No mention of Sheppard. I don't know much about any of the players in the upcoming draft so I didn't ask him about any specific player. He said Udoka wants someone who can shoot, but also wants size and versatility. They're not only intrigued by his talent, but businesswise he brings a whole country with him in regards to Rockets having a bigger fanbase. "Rockets want to get long, play fast and wreak havoc on defense. I asked if he felt Amen's better off as a wing - "He's a pg who can play multiple positions. Thinking he should just play the wing diminishes his value. Being a pg capable of playing the wing and defend multiple positions makes him dangerous." Rockets are very high on Amen and see him as the pg moving forward, according to him. They love Jabari Smith as well and believe he's going to make a big leap next season. He thinks Sengun, Amen, Jabari, Tari and Cam are currently the untouchables. I doubt they'll draft a traditional pg. I do think they could draft a wing capable of bringing the ball up and running an offense. Marcus Smart was Boston's starting pg for Udoka. Denver won a championship (and possibly about to win another) with Jamal Murray at point. He said Amen and Cam could have both gone #1 in this years draft and that Amen would have been in the running for ROY if not for injuries holding him back - even with him not starting early on and w/o a serviceable jumper. They expect Amen to be much more confident and aggressive next season. Felt he was too passive and held back at times. He said the Steven Adams trade was underrated and one of the best trades before the deadline. His addition will help the Rockets a lot next season. I asked about Jalen Green's mood after Rockets tried to trade him. He said Jalen wanted the trade too (at the time) so there's no bad blood between them. Many of you won't like this but even though KPJ's been off the team, Rockets FO and Udoka still communicates with him and has throughout the season to check on his progress. Doesn't mean he'll be a Rocket. He'll probably play for a NBA team next season though and the Rockets will have the first opportunity to sign him. We spoke some more about KPJ but there's no sense in wasting time talking about it here. "Rockets could trade back for future picks to get different player they like if Risacher's off the table (could be Sheppard or one of the bigs projected to be picked later). "The additional picks will help in a trade for an All-Star." Last thing I'll mention is he thinks Donovan Mitchell is faking his injury to lower his trade value. Could he be the star player who wants a trade to the Rockets? I don't know, but this is going to be an interesting ride! P.S I voted to trade the pick a few days ago.
Interesting breakdown, Tankathon has the two frenchmen going #1 and #2. Not exactly a fan of Risacher as the last thing the team needs is yet another defense-first wing player with questionable offensive abilities when they already have Amen and Tari. I guess the crowd that wants nobody under 6' 5" on the court even if Jabari is the only shooter will be thrilled if this is true.
risacher's my top pick so hopefully it works out. donovan mitchell is the last guy i want to see in rockets red so hopefully he goes back home to NY
Is Risacher a defense-first player? The first thing people point to is his three point shot. If his defense is strong in addition to having reliable range he'd be a fit on any team.
I'm worried that Udoka will overemphasize defense at the expense of offense, kind of like the JVG era. He might keep wanting to add defensive minded players to the roster while shooting could be only a secondary priority and we'd become like the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Reed is more Jimmer Fredette than he is Kirk Heinrich - weak draft nonetheless - he won’t sniff top 5 consideration in any other competitive draft class. Trade the pick.
Risacher is more on the Tari Eason side than the Amen side when it comes to offense, spot up 3s are about the only thing on offense he's decent at. Poor FT shooter, a nearly 2-1 Turnover to Assist ratio, poor handle, and a sub-par rebounder for his size.
Just listened to a podcast interview with the Wizards GM, Will Dawkins. He stressed their opportunity to draft a guy and give him 2-3 years of runway for development in a rebuilding situation. Talked up Risacher, Sarr, and Clingan. Seemed really focused on measurables. He made it seem like they're looking for the biggest upside plays, same as Coulibaly last year. Also mentioned the advantages of drafting the youngest guys because they can still grow physically. Sounds like at #2 they'll focus on swings like Sarr, Risacher, Castle, Matas, and Topic (who would fit them perfectly IMO if not for the injury concern).
