Is Reed Sheppard too undersized/unathletic to succeed in the NBA?
Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2025 6:17 pm
Reed Sheppard was drafted as a very raw, but potentially exciting, young point guard.
Because of the nature of playing in Houston he was always going to be at the bottom of the pecking order. However, the hope was that he could eventually develop and take the spot of FVV as a leader of the young core. In theory it's great to have a floor stretching PG like Sheppard that could be a hyper athlete playing with pace.
However, with the minimal time he's been given Sheppard has not really shown much potential or flashes.
In the G League, Sheppard has essentially dominated. In 3 games of play he averaged 30-8-4 shooting 40% from 3. However it's rare that a player dominates the G League and proceeds to really come up and make a name for themselves in the actual NBA (see Mac McClung as a recent example).
Basically no name guys put up these #s all the time and never have productive NBA careers.
Anyone who watched the Rising Stars last night, obviously the idea is that these games are not "serious" but it is a unique and big stage for these young guys who do want to prove themselves.
No one should be taking these games more seriously than the G League guys who never get a chance to show out on a big stage. Reed Sheppard was a clear headliner for the G League team in those games.
However in 12 mins of action Reed Sheppard went scoreless against a group of his peers barely playing defense.
One thing that stood out about Sheppard was his lack of size, but the other thing was his surprising lack of speed and athleticism. He looked..behind all the other NBA level talent on the floor that night.
In the few minutes he's played in the NBA, Sheppard has barely managed to do anything meaningful on the basketball court.
Sure it's tough for him to crack the rotation and get minutes, but in those garbage minutes you would expect Sheppard to show something that instills confidence in his #3 selection. Many noted analysts were very high on Sheppard after the draft. 31% FG and 27% from 3 doesn't instill any confidence.
In some ways I get flashbacks to another young guard who was selected #3 overall and hyped to be the next great American PG and has failed to deliver with even more minutes..
So what's the feeling on Reed Sheppard? Even if he gets traded, does he feel like he might just not have the athletic skill for things to workout?
I'd recommend you compare Rob Dillingham on the floor the Reed Sheppard. The physicals are fairly similar but the difference in Dillingham looks like he actually belongs when he gets meaningful minutes. He plays fast enough and shows in skill to keep up with the NBA level. With Reed, he always looks lost, looks like he's not in the right place at the right time, and seems to lack the game feel that suggests he will be successful.
Because of the nature of playing in Houston he was always going to be at the bottom of the pecking order. However, the hope was that he could eventually develop and take the spot of FVV as a leader of the young core. In theory it's great to have a floor stretching PG like Sheppard that could be a hyper athlete playing with pace.
However, with the minimal time he's been given Sheppard has not really shown much potential or flashes.
In the G League, Sheppard has essentially dominated. In 3 games of play he averaged 30-8-4 shooting 40% from 3. However it's rare that a player dominates the G League and proceeds to really come up and make a name for themselves in the actual NBA (see Mac McClung as a recent example).
Basically no name guys put up these #s all the time and never have productive NBA careers.
Anyone who watched the Rising Stars last night, obviously the idea is that these games are not "serious" but it is a unique and big stage for these young guys who do want to prove themselves.
No one should be taking these games more seriously than the G League guys who never get a chance to show out on a big stage. Reed Sheppard was a clear headliner for the G League team in those games.
However in 12 mins of action Reed Sheppard went scoreless against a group of his peers barely playing defense.
One thing that stood out about Sheppard was his lack of size, but the other thing was his surprising lack of speed and athleticism. He looked..behind all the other NBA level talent on the floor that night.
In the few minutes he's played in the NBA, Sheppard has barely managed to do anything meaningful on the basketball court.
Sure it's tough for him to crack the rotation and get minutes, but in those garbage minutes you would expect Sheppard to show something that instills confidence in his #3 selection. Many noted analysts were very high on Sheppard after the draft. 31% FG and 27% from 3 doesn't instill any confidence.
In some ways I get flashbacks to another young guard who was selected #3 overall and hyped to be the next great American PG and has failed to deliver with even more minutes..
Spoiler:
So what's the feeling on Reed Sheppard? Even if he gets traded, does he feel like he might just not have the athletic skill for things to workout?
I'd recommend you compare Rob Dillingham on the floor the Reed Sheppard. The physicals are fairly similar but the difference in Dillingham looks like he actually belongs when he gets meaningful minutes. He plays fast enough and shows in skill to keep up with the NBA level. With Reed, he always looks lost, looks like he's not in the right place at the right time, and seems to lack the game feel that suggests he will be successful.