It’s officially over for Big Blue Nation to hope that Reed Sheppard would stay another year and play for his father’s former college roommate. Sheppard made his NBA debut announcement on Thursday.
Reed will be able to fulfill his basketball dream of playing in the NBA, whereas Jeff Sheppard only managed to play in eighteen games despite winning two national titles at Kentucky.
Sheppard has a great chance to be selected in the top 10 of the 2024 NBA Draft because it is not a loaded draft. Although being chosen as highly as possible yields the highest salary, Sheppard’s landing position may have more bearing on the outcome of his career.
The proper fit is crucial for many draft prospects, and Sheppard’s skill set would mesh well with the following three teams that will select in the summer lottery.
LaMelo Ball, a point guard already with the Charlotte Hornets, only appeared in 22 games the previous campaign and hasn’t been consistently healthy for much of his career. Sheppard’s versatility makes him an ideal complement to LaMelo, even if he does play in close to 82 games the following season.
The Hornets’ future really depends on Brandon Miller, not on LaMelo. Sheppard would make a fantastic No. 2 to Miller if and when Charlotte decides to move on from LaMelo in order to change the team’s focus, thanks to his excellent off-ball defense and shooting ability.
As a freshman, Sheppard averaged over four assists per game, showed off impressive athleticism, and shot five2% from three-point range. Any group can be
