Horrible offensive game but pretty decent defensive game from Reed, he really stepped up 2nd half guarding Booker
Reed didn’t play well against the Suns. His shot wasn’t falling and he was weak with the ball. But it was good experience for him to play in that kind of environment. He did have some good assists and his hands were disruptive on defense. Hopefully he bounces back and torches Golden State Wednesday.
I disagree. He didn’t shoot well, but I’m not really worried about that part of his game. Shooters have off nights. Even Steph. However, I liked the way he ran the PNR and was finding open teammates with good (and often) tough passes. He had 5 assists, and could have easily had 10. 3 steals. He had a number of moments of strong defense, especially when they were trying to pick on him. Shooting wasn’t there, but he did other things.
The stats don’t show it, but I thought Reed played a really good game last night against the suns. Disruptive defensively, hustling, good passes. It was noticeable how “tough” he looked out there in what was a fairly physical game.
It’s funny, but stuff like this is what is going to get him minutes with Ime. He’ll have off shooting nights, but these attributes can remain consistent.
Just forced too many 3s. He's been doing these little jump passes I'm not fond of and too many times he lets the defender blow by to try and pick his pocket. His defense on the perimeter was quite good and he's starting to put his body into players to take them off their line. Not great but not bad either.
Still several bad plays on defense. Had back to back bad plays in the first. Was supposed to switch on booker but decided to run back to his original assignment resulting in booker 3. completely gambled going for the ball on one one at the 3 pt line letting his man beat him on the drive. Luckily jabari was there in the paint and sheppard stuck his hand in last minute to knock the ball out. Still was a stupid play
Speaking to people with a narrative is one thing but I will defend that Reed was really bad defensively last year. He EARNED that poor defensive reputation just as he has earned this year's praise - anything else is revisionist history. The hands/reflexes were certainly there last year - but he didn't know how to use them to neutralize players so it amounted to him taking himself out of the play trying to chase steals/jump in passing lanes and forcing his teammates to help. It just seemed to me like Reed felt he was sitting duck defensively so his "defense" was gamble to try to prevent a player from getting the ball or as soon as they got it because he knew he was at a disadvantage if the player got moving against him. I think what he has learned this year is he doesn't have to rush to make the defensive play - he just needs to stay somewhat in front of a player and be patient and let his opponent expose the ball or go into his gather and he could be just as effective defensively there. Sometimes that opportunity exposes itself earlier in the possession but I think Reed has done a much better job keeping himself engaged defensively the entire possession. I think he is also doing a better job of running to the ball and not necessarily to the player. Some of those steals are very similar to Tari Eason where they go to the ball when the opportunity presents itself rather than worry about setting up into a defensive stance. I think he also played very tentatively last year and he seems to be playing with much more confidence this year(aside from those first couple of games). ..but to be clear - if you watched games last year - he was definitely bad defensively despite the nice tools he possessed coming out of college(good hands, good reflexes, a speedy burst for contests, and a quicker, higher jump than you would think). I think Ime and his teammates have helped him unlock those powers to be far more effective by being willing to be both patient, and get dirty when you need to and it makes him playable defensively. Reed probably always had it in him, but these guys really have brought it out of him this year. That flagrant for tripping Bane was the turning point in Reed's career if you ask me because it showed he had that level of nastiness you need to survive as a small guy out there. You gotta be willing to scratch and claw and be mean and petty and all the things - and that's what that flagrant was about because frankly Bane was talking **** and trying to punk our guys out there and Reed let him know he could bully back(even though the refs caught that one). I'll admit I was on the fence about Reed over Castle in the draft - I liked Castle a lot but I thought Reed's defensive limitations would be harder to work around than Castle's shooting but the Reed Sheppherd I am seeing today puts me at ease. He was always going to be able to shoot and create space/have gravity in a time when we had a slew of bad shooters - but could he not give up points the very next possession was always the question to how effective those minutes could be and last year wasn't a good look - but happy to see his growth this year.
He got caught ball watching from what I could tell and got lost in “no man’s land”. I will add that he’s seeing a lot of sets for the first time. Going over film is only going to help so much. He seems to be a smart guy who learns from his mistakes so I feel like we’re going to see a way better RS later in the season.
I was expecting a better performance from Reed, but alas he played solid defense. Though, he took a few too many gambles, giving up easy layups. Plus his shooting touch never materialized in the game, which opened the door for Holiday to eat into Reeds minutes. I liked how he handled the ball well, even while constantly being guarded and pressed. In 26 minutes he had 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 turnovers. But with Holiday shooting 60% from 3, as he went 6/10 from the 3 point line, Ime chose wisely giving heavy minutes to Holiday. Kudos to Ime for riding the shooting touch of Holiday last night, 60% is elite. Overall solid but unspectacular game from Reed. Played a good point guard role, which bodes well.
winning basketball and elevating his teammates. his numbers will look good off the bench but his impact on the rest of the starters will be way more impactful.
Let’s be objective in our analysis. He’s been better with staying in front of his man and being more tenacious but he gambles quite a bit in games and often misses his assignment. I pointed out 2 examples from several last night. As I said it’s a combination of experience and bad habits. He needs to be better. This is why I have said this team is taking a risk on him. You can’t make these plays in the playoffs or deeper in the season. Just can’t.
I know people say Reed gambles too much but I don't actually fault him for that. I've concentrated on his defensive possessions and even when he's not gambling he's getting beat too often. By going for steals, at least he gets some high-impact plays and perhaps the ball handler think about it more when trying to go at him. At least right now, Reed's value really comes from being a bucket getter and why I'm not a proponent of him starting right now. He can't be taking 9 shots in 27 minutes even if he's going 0-9. Gotta let him cook to maximize his time on the court. Otherwise his defense is a liability relative to other options the Rockets have.
100% agree - Reed isn't ready yet for the playoffs or starting duties for that matter. Not disagreeing with that. It's just to say I can see the tools that could make him a passable defender long term - I was very dubious about those tools before the season started. He's never going to be a lockdown defender - he just needs to be able to play within a team concept and not get burned so much that he gets hunted on every play and otherwise his shooting will be enough to sustain additional playin time. I have seen him lose track of his man many times too and he is particularly bad in zones when players cut through his area - its obvious to me he doesn't really understand where his teammates are behind him.
The gambling is problematic - honestly I would rather him foul a player than gamble, take himself out of a play entirely and leave his teammates to defend a situation where they are outnumbered and potentially give up an open 3 or even worse - pick up a foul 'and one'. The problem with Reed gambling is the help defender then becomes the guy trying to stop a guy with a full head of steam and then you have guys like Amen and KD, and Alpi picking up cheap fouls. You ultimately lose in a number of ways with Reed gambling - in ways that make his offensive production or spacing far less valuable. As much as fans on this board are trying to glaze Reed he isn't anywhere near as valuable as guys like KD, Alpi, Amen, Jabari, or Eason are to this team's success right now.
He should focus on not getting beat then. Positional defense is always priority, having quick hands for steals complements your positional defense, but does not replace it.
