The (way too early) 2024 Draft thread. Woo! Tanking!

[tontoz]

Sheppard went off tonight. 24-8-6 on 18 shots.

14-5-4-4 on Saturday.

Far and away the most consistent top 10 prospect.

They played him 45 minutes! He played every minute of an overtime game.

If Reed is going to be starting going forward then we'll get a better read (see what i did there) on his skills.

[nate33]

Sheppard went off tonight. 24-8-6 on 18 shots.

14-5-4-4 on Saturday.

Far and away the most consistent top 10 prospect.

They played him 45 minutes! He played every minute of an overtime game.

If Reed is going to be starting going forward then we'll get a better read (see what i did there) on his skills.

I figure his floor is Grayson Allen and his ceiling is Mark Price.

I think he might play better in the NBA than in college because of the spacing to run pick-and-roll. If you have a deadly off-the-dribble 3-ball, it almost guarantees that you can run effective pick and roll because the defense can't go under the screen. The only other things that are needed are adequate ball handing and a high basketball IQ, which we know Sheppard has.

[NatP4]

They played him 45 minutes! He played every minute of an overtime game.

If Reed is going to be starting going forward then we'll get a better read (see what i did there) on his skills.

I figure his floor is Grayson Allen and his ceiling is Mark Price.

I think he might play better in the NBA than in college because of the spacing to run pick-and-roll. If you have a deadly off-the-dribble 3-ball, it almost guarantees that you can run effective pick and roll because the defense can't go under the screen. The only other things that are needed are adequate ball handing and a high basketball IQ, which we know Sheppard has.

I get what you are saying, but there’s no way his floor is Grayson Allen. Sheppard, at 19/20, has put up significantly better numbers than Allen did as a 22/23 year old senior.

Elite shooter, elite guard defender, secondary/some primary playmaking skills, elite feel for the game/IQ. I don’t see what he’s going to struggle with in the NBA, and I think plenty of teams will overthink it and shoot for the perceived upside in the top 5 and totally miss.

Sheppard has a Klay Thompson floor IMO. The ceiling is the part that is tough to pinpoint.

[doclinkin]

They played him 45 minutes! He played every minute of an overtime game.

If Reed is going to be starting going forward then we'll get a better read (see what i did there) on his skills.

I figure his floor is Grayson Allen and his ceiling is Mark Price.

I think he might play better in the NBA than in college because of the spacing to run pick-and-roll. If you have a deadly off-the-dribble 3-ball, it almost guarantees that you can run effective pick and roll because the defense can't go under the screen. The only other things that are needed are adequate ball handing and a high basketball IQ, which we know Sheppard has.

The ballhandling is impressing me. Early in the season he was a standstill passer who hit open shots. Now he has added a hesi game to set up his teammates and is playing the angles well in penetration. He's not the dribble-attack wizards that teammate Dillingham is (Dillz plays as if he's the guy Jordan Poole thinks he is) but Sheppard has terminator software in his head, calculating the percentages and making the efficient play every single time. He's athletic enough to play the game but his read/react is precocious.

[NatP4]

I still think Edey is going to be a huge steal late in the 1st round. I hope we are that team.

I could get excited about a Sheppard-Coulibaly-Avdija-Edey core

[doclinkin]

I get what you are saying, but there’s no way his floor is Grayson Allen. Sheppard, at 19/20, has put up significantly better numbers than Allen did as a 22/23 year old senior.

Elite shooter, elite guard defender, secondary/some primary playmaking skills, elite feel for the game/IQ. I don’t see what he’s going to struggle with in the NBA, and I think plenty of teams will overthink it and shoot for the perceived upside in the top 5 and totally miss.

Sheppard has a Klay Thompson floor IMO. The ceiling is the part that is tough to pinpoint.

To say his floor is a HOFer seems over enthusiastic to me. Sheppard is putting up numbers on a team where he is the 5th option in scoring. Yes he is taking advantage of his opportunities, seems to be a master of that at an early age, but he will measure on the short size of average at the combine, and I don't see the face-up lockdown defense that Klay entered the league with. He's savvy and clever and cunning, upside will come with his leadership ability, but he is still not facing the other team's best shutdown guy every game. If he is starting at PG we will see if there is a slip or bump in his stats.

[NatP4]

Sheppard is a better defender and shooter than Klay Thompson was in college.

Klay Thompson has a completely different career/perception if he doesn’t land on a team with Steph Curry and Draymond.

[pancakes3]

Maybe best case is Haliburton? I haven't watched Reed play enough but as far as deadeye combo guards of league-average athleticism pushed to play point and found success, I hope that we don't have to reach all the way back to Mark Price to find a comp.

[pcbothwel]

There are a lot of solid prospects in this draft. Sarr, Castle, Sheppard, Williams, Risacher, Topic, Buzelis... all top 10 talents that I would have no problem with drafting.
My issue is taking any of them in the top 3 if we dont project them as a multiple time AS.
PDX, SAS, TOR, HOU, OKC, etc. all have multiple picks now and in the future. Between #2, Kuz, Tyus, and Gafford... we need to end up with 2 first in 3 of the next 4 drafts.

[nate33]

Maybe best case is Haliburton? I haven't watched Reed play enough but as far as deadeye combo guards of league-average athleticism pushed to play point and found success, I hope that we don't have to reach all the way back to Mark Price to find a comp.

I think of Mark Price because of his picture perfect shooting form on the quick release pullup jumper. Price was a shooter first and foremost, and leveraged that to be a very good PG. I think Sheppard is similar. Mark Price also had a similar stature as a 6-2ish guy who was quick but not particularly long. Perhaps Lillard is modern day comparison, though young Lillard was more athletic and even entered a dunk contest IIRC.

Haliburton is more like a Steve Nash is that his primary weapon is his passing ability and he leverages that to be a scorer.

[nate33]

Sheppard is a better defender and shooter than Klay Thompson was in college.

Klay Thompson has a completely different career/perception if he doesn’t land on a team with Steph Curry and Draymond.

I just don't think the Klay Thompson comparison makes any sense whatsoever. Klay is a 6-7 3&D wing who happens to be one of the best ever at the "3" part. But his game is nothing like Sheppard's at either end of the floor. It's possible that Sheppard will shoot as well as Klay, but he won't get off the volume of shots because of his height.

If you think Sheppard's D will translate in the NBA, you might want to compare him to a guy like Jrue or Caruso who are elite defenders at the PG position, rather than Klay. That said, I don't think Sheppard will be quite that good defensively. I'm not convinced he is elite at on ball defense. I think he is smart and heady but doesn't have the long arms of Jrue or the reflexes and base strength of Caruso. I don't see Sheppard panning out as an All-NBA Defensive Team candidate.

I think Sheppard is likely to look more like Delon Wright on defense. Delon is a menace in the passing lanes, but merely above-average on the ball.

[DCZards]

Kevin McCullar looks legit, doc. Poised and smooth. I like that he gets his long ball off quickly and with very little wasted motion. Great size and length for a SG.

I’ve seen McCuller mocked as high as 7 (The Ringer) to late first round. His age (23 at the time of the draft) might scare some teams off. Maybe he’ll be around for the Zards in the second round.

[NatP4]

Maybe best case is Haliburton? I haven't watched Reed play enough but as far as deadeye combo guards of league-average athleticism pushed to play point and found success, I hope that we don't have to reach all the way back to Mark Price to find a comp.

Haliburton is a great comparison.

Sophomore Haliburton: 14.9 points 5.8 rebounds 6.3 rebounds 2.4 steals 2.7 turnovers 63% TS

Freshman (sophomore age) Reed Sheppard: 16.0 points 5.6 rebounds 5.5 assists 3.2 steals 2.0 turnovers 71.7% TS

Haliburton had more on ball potential/athletic ability, Sheppard is better on the defensive end.

It still has to be pointed out that Sheppard is 45-83 from 3pt range-54.2%. 80% from the free throw line. He projects as good as any off-ball shooting prospect ever.

[tontoz]

Kentucky plays top 10 Tennessee on Saturday.

[doclinkin]

Sheppard is a better defender and shooter than Klay Thompson was in college.

Klay Thompson has a completely different career/perception if he doesn’t land on a team with Steph Curry and Draymond.

Maybe, but you didn't say "Sheppard's floor is who Klay would have been if he didn't play with 2 other HOFers".

I touted Klay in that draft, he was knocked down the 1st round because he smoked weed. It was clear he had the length and shooting to make it at the next level, questions were about his motivation. In that respect absolutely he benefitted by playing next to the superlative professionalism and obsessive practice habits of Stef Curry.

Stef Curry isn't on this team.

I see Sheppard's floor as who he is right now: a highly efficient low-usage game manager who takes and makes open shots. Not necessarily a guy who breaks down defenses and can get open to force those shots.

His upside really depends on his ability to captain that team at the PG spot. Can he carry a team and make everyone better. If so he actually reminds me of an upgraded Tyus Jones, who game-managed Duke to a championship. Sheppard shoots better on standalone 3 pt shots, but Jones forced opponents to foul him and was carrying that team on the strength of his in-game smarts and moxie.

Actually Jones as veteran role model to Sheppard would be an ideal mentorship situation, given that we don't actually have Curry on this team. Tyus carries a record breaking asst to TO ratio, whatever the drawbacks his undersized stature, adding a defensive upgrade with the baseline of Tyus' skill would give this team a damn good player.

[NatP4]

There are a lot of solid prospects in this draft. Sarr, Castle, Sheppard, Williams, Risacher, Topic, Buzelis... all top 10 talents that I would have no problem with drafting.
My issue is taking any of them in the top 3 if we dont project them as a multiple time AS.
PDX, SAS, TOR, HOU, OKC, etc. all have multiple picks now and in the future. Between #2, Kuz, Tyus, and Gafford... we need to end up with 2 first in 3 of the next 4 drafts.

Really hoping the Sarr hype train continues and we land #1 and trade down. I’ll take any 2 of Buzelis, Castle, Sheppard, and Topic. Still think Castle is just starting to get settled in this year. Topic will explode once healthy.

Give me another couple picks in the 20-40 range and I’m going Lipsey from Iowa State, Kwame Evans from Oregon, and Zach Edey if he’s there.

[pcbothwel]

Some really intriguing PF options in the 25-40 range in Evans, Hall, and Holmes.

[NatP4]

Some really intriguing PF options in the 25-40 range in Evans, Hall, and Holmes.

Karaban from UConn as well

[pcbothwel]

Sheppard is a better defender and shooter than Klay Thompson was in college.

Klay Thompson has a completely different career/perception if he doesn’t land on a team with Steph Curry and Draymond.

I just don't think the Klay Thompson comparison makes any sense whatsoever. Klay is a 6-7 3&D wing who happens to be one of the best ever at the "3" part. But his game is nothing like Sheppard's at either end of the floor. It's possible that Sheppard will shoot as well as Klay, but he won't get off the volume of shots because of his height.

If you think Sheppard's D will translate in the NBA, you might want to compare him to a guy like Jrue or Caruso who are elite defenders at the PG position, rather than Klay. That said, I don't think Sheppard will be quite that good defensively. I'm not convinced he is elite at on ball defense. I think he is smart and heady but doesn't have the long arms of Jrue or the reflexes and base strength of Caruso. I don't see Sheppard panning out as an All-NBA Defensive Team candidate.

I think Sheppard is likely to look more like Delon Wright on defense. Delon is a menace in the passing lanes, but merely above-average on the ball.

Totally agree. Sheppard got torched a bit on D against Florida last night. He seems to get beat quite a bit off the dribble against quicker guards, so he gives them too much room on the perimeter to shoot.

Nat. I really like Sheppard, but you really need to watch each possession defensively. I simply cant talk myself into him as a top 5 pick and feel good about it.

Watch on YouTube

1:10 - First play...Doesnt fight through screen or stop roll man
3:13 - Gives up way too much room for an open 3. Shot is missed
3:37 - Man... Blown by again
4:06 - Gives up way too much room AGAIN on the 3. Guys makes it this time
5:50 - Loses his man. Open 3
9:28 - Ehhh. Over plays and guy gets open mid-range
15:47 - Plays WAY too far off and gives his man an open 3
--- We are only 1/4th of the way through the game. Not good so far...But keep watching, it doesnt get any better.

[tontoz]

I want to see more from Big Z. He had that big debut vs Georgia and hasn't played much since .