Case to Draft Reed Sheppard at #3

AroundTheWorld · Jun 24, 2024

Mad Cornbread · Jun 24, 2024

AroundTheWorld said: ↑

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but..........

zeeshan2 · Jun 24, 2024

zeeshan2 · Jun 25, 2024

I’m

roslolian · Jun 25, 2024

coachbadlee said: ↑

The Spurs are going to beat us to a twin towers attack while we're here goofing around with Sheppard and being all starry eyed with Senguns stats. They could trade up for Sarr, Clingan or just take Edey with that #8 pick. If this happens Rockets are done for the next decade at least.

Pray for Sarr and Carter!!!
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I'm def not high on Sheppard but getting him is better than Sarr or Clingan. Nevermind Sengun even Jock Landale is better than those guys for the next 3 yrs at least.

Devin Carter also someone I really like. I think he is second coming of Derrick White.

yixiixiy · Jun 25, 2024

Givony continues his tour to promote his godson Risacher. But really interesting bit is that Nate Duncan has Reed Sheppard 1st on his board.

zeeshan2 · Jun 25, 2024

clos4life · Jun 25, 2024

This kind of elite shooting is not something to pass on. Even as a role player, if he can shoot 50%+ at the NBA level, he has a role in any team.

DaDakota · Jun 25, 2024

3>2

Take Sheppard.

Ignore Postbadlee's takes on him.

DD

El_Conquistador · Jun 25, 2024

Sheppard's shooting and passing perfectly complements both Amen Thompson and Sengun -- the two players I would regard as our top two pieces to build around. We MUST add shooting and Sheppard is the best shooter to emerge in years. This is an obvious pick

mario_v · Jun 25, 2024

I would rather take a chance on Buzelis rather than drafting a role player like shepherd.

MystikArkitect · Jun 25, 2024

The Thunder are a good premonition of where the Rockets may be headed with this whole thing. Drafted Cason Wallace last year who was also a 2-way Kentucky guard who is now replacing a flawed 2021 draftee that needed to be traded to the Bulls because he was unplayable in the Playoffs.

zeeshan2 · Jun 25, 2024

MystikArkitect said: ↑

The Thunder are a good premonition of where the Rockets may be headed with this whole thing. Drafted Cason Wallace last year who was also a 2-way Kentucky guard who is now replacing a flawed 2021 draftee that needed to be traded to the Bulls because he was unplayable in the Playoffs.
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but they let dallas gets superior guys the last 2 times: lively instead of wallace and gafford instead of hayward

KingCheetah · Jun 25, 2024

Will the Rockets suffer an IKO with the 3rd pick of the 2024 draft?

[DIVOT]

zeeshan2 · Jun 25, 2024

Kelly Iko: At this point in Houston’s rebuild, are you still going for the best player available (keeping the No. 3 pick) or does there have to be an element of team fit with coach Ime Udoka? Is there any worry of positional logjam?

Sam Vecenie: Team fit is an essential part of the equation now with the young talent the Rockets have. Particularly, Houston can’t draft another non-shooter. With Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün in the fold as legitimate building blocks, you can’t throw another non-shooter in that mix. I’d love the Rockets to find a great shooter that they can count on reliably to space the court for their many athletic wings and guards, in addition to Şengün’s post/mid-post game.

This draft isn’t one where teams should be overemphasizing a big board rank in a vacuum over team fit. Everyone’s big board on the team side reflects some importance on how a prospect will fit with the team that they have, which is why every team’s board is different in large respect.

Having said that, because the talent across the board in this class is so flat, how a player fits developmentally and in terms of the roster around him, in my opinion, will play a critical role in how that player’s game develops over the next five years. Because there is no overwhelming talent immediately making itself evident in this class, the All-Stars that will come from this class — and there will be All-Stars — will likely come from a combination of the players growing and the teams putting them in position to best fulfill their potential.

Iko: You have Reed Sheppard at No. 2 on your big board. Do you think Sheppard is a good fit with Houston if they take him at No. 3?

Vecenie: I love the Sheppard fit and think it’s an outstanding idea for the Rockets to go get an incredible connector player like him who fills needs in multiple respects, both positionally and in terms of skill set.
Everyone knows Sheppard is an elite 3-point shooter. He made 52.1 percent of his 3s, but it goes beyond that. He made 50 percent of his 3s from beyond 27 feet. He made 51.4 percent both off of the catch and off of the dribble. He’s an all-situations shooter who is among the best prospects I’ve ever evaluated at that specific skill.

But I also love his other skills. His feel for the game is strong. His basketball IQ showcases itself every time he’s out there, and he’s ahead of the curve when it comes to making reads. He’s an unbelievable transition passer. He’s a sharp half-court passer who makes extra reads with ease and can also drive and kick. He showcases real anticipation in help defensive situations and has a penchant for scrambling and defensive playmaking. His production and efficiency are historically strong for a first-year player.

I love the way he fits with this core. If the Rockets have questions about Thompson potentially shifting upward to the point guard position after playing more on the wing and in the frontcourt even at times this year, having someone like Sheppard next to him as a dynamic shooter who can also handle the ball would be awesome. He and Thompson in transition would have the potential to be one of the most dynamic duos in the game during their prime. Can you imagine Thompson using his speed to push the tempo, then having Sheppard as a trailer option, or having Sheppard spraying out to the wings and corners. That would make him even more dynamic.

Then in ball-screens and dribble handoffs, Sheppard would have a chance to combine well with Şengün in those settings due to his gravity and ability to fire quickly. Miami has found success off of sets like this with Duncan Robinson and Bam Adebayo over the years, and Houston could take directly from their playbook to find open 3s for Sheppard.

Defensively, Sheppard’s lack of size would be made up for by one of the biggest wing and backcourt core groups in the league, with Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., and Cam Whitmore all being in some respect long, dynamic, powerful or quick-twitch athletes that can cover ground quickly (even if Whitmore is still coming along on that end himself). Their presence and ability to scramble a bit might even allow Sheppard to take fuller advantage of his penchant for creating steals and blocks.

I love the idea of this fit, and it’s what I would do if I were the Rockets at No. 3 and I decided to keep the pick.

Iko: There are several areas where the Rockets can improve, but I want to focus on two: outside shooting and frontcourt versatility. With that being said, how closely graded are players Sheppard and Dalton Knecht? What about Alexandre Sarr and Donovan Clingan?

Vecenie: I don’t have a particularly close grade on Knecht and Sheppard. I have them in different tiers, and think Sheppard is the more dynamic overall player. Knecht is probably a bit more dynamic as an overall scorer who can run off of movement, deal with contact now in the paint and make shots off of tough actions. But Sheppard is ahead everywhere else, including on defense where I have some questions on both of them, to be honest.
Sarr and Clingan are a closer conversation. I prefer Sarr slightly, but honestly, it’s entirely dependent on what you want your scheme to be, how you want to operate across the court, and your risk appetite.

If you want to play more aggressive coverages and have versatility in what you’re doing on that end, you probably prefer Sarr. If you want to play drop coverage and have elite rim protection as a counter to what Şengün provides (no, the two couldn’t play together), you probably prefer Clingan. If you think Sarr is going to keep developing his shooting and ball skills enough to play the four, you probably prefer him. If you don’t believe that, you probably have more overarching questions about Sarr on the offensive end and prefer Clingan.

Anyone who has one of those players over the other, I get it. I have Sarr at No. 1 and Clingan at No. 4 on my board, but I rank players in a vacuum and not for the specific situations on the team side. Sarr has a bit more of a dynamic quality that would allow him to potentially play with Şengün at some point, so I’d probably prefer to swing there if I were Houston as opposed to Clingan. But the team also already has Smith, who showed serious, significant strides as a second-year player and who I would still take at No. 1 overall in this 2024 class even today.

I would have Sheppard at No. 1 on my board for Houston if I was making a team-specific board, though.

Iko: Let’s envision that Clingan and Sarr are the first names of the board. Is there an argument to be made for Zaccharie Risacher at No. 3 or is Sheppard simply the better long-term choice?
Vecenie: I prefer Sheppard both as a choice in Houston and simply as a prospect overall. Risacher doesn’t have a ton of star upside necessarily, in my opinion. You can see Sheppard as a better swing for star power if that’s what you’re hoping for in Houston, and that is indeed what I’d be trying to accomplish if I were them. Risacher has a ton of positional size, length and shooting ability. But I don’t love the way he plays through contact and I don’t love his athletic profile. It seems difficult to see him as a shot creator. Houston has several interesting young players who profile as at least solid starters at this point, so I don’t know that I’d need to try to hit a double on draft night if I was keeping this pick. I’d either look to trade it or just take a swing with Sheppard, who I feel fits the core and has a degree of potential.
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ROXTXIA · Jun 25, 2024

KingCheetah said: ↑

Will the Rockets suffer an IKO with the 3rd pick of the 2024 draft?

[DIVOT]
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NOT spoiler:

Rockets34Legend · Jun 25, 2024

J.R. · Jun 25, 2024

zeeshan2 said: ↑

Vecenie: Houston can’t draft another non-shooter.
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zeeshan2 said: ↑

Vecenie: No, the two (Sengun & Clingan) couldn’t play together
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zeeshan2 said: ↑

Vecenie: I would have Sheppard at No. 1 on my board for Houston
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Just wanted to emphasize those quotes.

OremLK · Jun 25, 2024

Lonzo Ball is one weird-ass comp to throw down for Sheppard. The two have wildly different player profiles. And that's not a knock on either of them.

jim1961 · Jun 25, 2024

topfive said: ↑

No one in the Rockets front office realistically thinks they'll reach the finals next season or the one after.
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Maybe, but it surfaces again and again how this Rockets FO is in win now mode. And while I don't believe every rumor, we have been linked to several superstar types recently.

While finals bound is probably unrealistic this coming year or next, getting to the 2nd round might be what some FO folks hope for this year or next. I don't know if our FO has the patience to wait 3-4 more years. For better or for worse, I think the Rockets make moves to break out before that time frame.

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Case to Draft Reed Sheppard at #3

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Case to Draft Reed Sheppard at #3

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