It’s a hot knife through butter on the defensive end to the point where we're basically playing 4v5. Will he improve? Sure but not by much as he's barely 6’1”. I'd move him to the bench because there's no real bucket getter there. It's just a bunch of random dudes trying to do something and failing miserably. I want him to start and improve but if we don't play our cards right we could easily end up in the playin spot.
Good news: he’s a full 2 inches taller than you think so your brain has been exaggerating the problem. What a relief right?
I mean it's just the same thing we've been saying all along: When Reed shoots it well you can live with his defensive limitations. When he goes 3 for 14 from three point range, not so much. He's going to have to improve significantly on defense and/or find more consistency and bring up his 3P% to a truly elite level if he wants to be a starter on a championship contending team. There's no way around that puzzle.
Nights like these are why you can't totally blame Udoka for not giving Reed the reins completely... That said, I hope he continues to start Reed so he can play through these difficult times and continue to grow. His development is the best hope this year in the playoffs and beyond.
I see it differently, he subs in Reed when he has been shooting and playing poorly but benches him when he is hot...... what logic is that?
Oh I’m not guessing. You said he’s barely 6’1. He’s been professionally measured without shoes at almost 6’3. I’m not sure why you think your opinion about that really matters. Or do you think in some universe anyone is going to believe your casual test more than the combine? Like we’re going to believe this vision you had that Reed got away with cheating his height but you caught him with your half-assed test? Lol Get real man. You obviously exaggerated because you got caught up in your feelings. It’s ok to be wrong sometimes.
He's not only an inch shorter than Jalen Green come on hahahaah. Jalen is 6'4" and he looks like he has at least 2 inches on him. On draft night, he even looked shorter than Adam Silver who's reportedly 6'3" (Images below). Realistically, the best you can argue is 6'2". The thing is, his height might not have been a huge issue if he had a long wingspan, but his is only around 6'3", which doesn't help much either. The bigger problem however is his overall size. He looks even smaller than Mavs Bruson, and it shows during games. They can back him down way too easily and he doesn't really have the strength or frame to hold his ground. He lacks muscle, his legs aren't particularly strong and he doesn't have the kind of build you can realistically expect to bulk up significantly. Anyone expecting him to be anything other than a defensive liability is just fooling themselves. I get that you like him a lot and want us to see him as a 6'3" player or bigger if possible, buy into the idea of his plausible improvement on that end, ease up on the criticism today and reduce the number of "Sheppard doubters" on the forum so you don't feel the need to defend him like your sanity depends on it. But maybe, instead of trying to reprogram everyone here you should dial back the attachment a bit and leave room for criticism. That way, you won't get crushed if it turns out we were right. What do you think?
Reed isn't a great 1v1 defender, but he is a GREAT team defender - he makes up for his being smaller by leading in stocks..... Dude is only going to get better, and the HALL OF FAME is littered with guys who are not great defenders. DD
Every other Rockets high pick has had tons of games like Reed last night's and Udoka has no problem giving them consistent minutes. Jalen, Sengun, Jabari, Amen, none of these Rockets suffered in terms of playing time after their bad stretches. The problem wasn't that Reed wasn't getting consistent minutes, but rather he and Cam were the only players under Udoka to be yanked around. Cam of course responded by pouting and quitting. But while Reed has kept his mouth shut, there's no way he's not affected by being the player who has no confidence from your coach.
I’m just going to repeat again: no one is going to go with your casual a$$ eye test over an official measurement. No one is going to entertain that.
yeah and that's fine because he is by far the best offensive player. The worst defensive player on those Warriors teams was Curry, so what.
I'm sorry but your boyfriend isn’t 6'3" and anyone with at least one working eye can already see that. They probably messed up his measurement. I just hope you find a way to deal with it.
