Keefe
Well-Known Member
Not to mention the NIL money won’t be as much as what he makes annually as a rookie and (most importantly), the real key is to get to that second contract as quickly as possible. Another year of college kills that.
2024 NBA Draft Mega Thread
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Not to mention the NIL money won’t be as much as what he makes annually as a rookie and (most importantly), the real key is to get to that second contract as quickly as possible. Another year of college kills that.
Keefe
Well-Known Member
What are the stories?
I still think it’s hilarious people seriously thought Reed was going to return to school.
Keep in mind, these are just internet rumors and I may be remembering incorrectly....but Kentucky boosters have a rep of being crazy. One rumor was that the Kentucky alumni created a scheme to involve/seduce Rick Pitino into a sex scandal. I also think one of the boosters offered a highly rated recruit (Nerlens Noel maybe?) favors in return for commitment.
The recent story is about a Kentucky booster wanting to involve Oscar Tsibewe in their political campaign. Coach Cal told them to F off and they pulled all their money, that's why he's out of there.
I'm really honing in on Sheppard as the top guy in this draft. The more deep divey I get, the more I'm sold on him. I totally understand the concerns, but on paper he is a mega elite prospect. On paper =/= reality, but in this draft it's enough to put him #1 in my book.
It was a possibility. No one ever said he was going to.
The question with Sheppard is how far his off-the-dribble game can go. The shooting, defense, passing and toughness all pass muster. But can he be a primary guy with the ball?
It's a bit similar to the questions around Cason Wallace last year.
His play when Dillingham was off the court really puts me at ease. Definitely suggests he was being limited.
Vecenie dropped his big board. Not to many hit tales from what I see. Has AJ Johnson in his top 30. Has Chomche 90th
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Everything kinda points to him being the Kentucky guard that was playing so far within himself and will be capable of more.
In this draft he’s as good a bet as any.
Vecenie has Sheppard at 4.
I also think his high floor means a lot in this draft. I wouldn't be surprised if there are like 4-5 guys in the top 10 who are barely hanging on and fighting for a rotation spot/careers in five years. IMO, he's extremely safe as at least an amazing role player who might get his minutes cut if you're in the NBA finals against the Celtics. But I also think he has as much star potential as any. I would bet against any individual player being a star in this draft, but history shows there will be at least a few and I think his chances are as good as anyone else.
The other thing to look at would be what he did in HS. Was he an alpha-type, three-level scorer and set-up guy in HS?
Here are some HS highlights --
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HufM0iprBw
There isn't much here, but he makes a nice outlet pass starting at 5:30 and a steal and breakout at 5:55.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdtg2mjP3vM
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Another thing I came across in my deep dive with Sheppard, only 45% of his baskets were assisted this season. That is a mark lower than Dillingham who is (rightfully) labeled the best shot creator in this draft. When you see 18% USG and 70% TS you might think someone like Gobert or a strict spot up shooter like Grayson Allen this year....someone who gets the large majority of their buckets assisted. Sheppard is not that guy. That's lower than Collin Sexton this year.
I’m not actually too familiar with his HS career, except I vaguely remember a game against Bronny where they whooped them.
Anyways, I think it’s a bonus if they have been a true alpha at any level. For example, even though the French Jr league was poor, I like that Bilal was basically the MJ of that league.
Having said that, if a player has the ability, I think you can work on the mentality. Think Halliburton.
"At this juncture, I’m open to all possibilities about what the top of this class looks like on draft night. I would say, in some capacity, all of the players ranked in my top 10 have a non-zero chance to go No. 1 overall if things break right in terms of the draft lottery and they have a strong pre-draft process. There are players there who have a much better chance to go No. 1 than others, to be sure, but NBA teams are all over the map in this class. It does not have a sure-fire guy, so teams are doing their due diligence across the spectrum. I cannot remember a class in which the lottery will have such a significant impact on how the top will be selected."
-Sam Vecenie
-Sam Vecenie
Shep had a huge range among the top recruiting services and had a wide movement range over his career.