Reed Sheppard Making his Presence Known in 2024 NBA Draft
The 2024 NBA Draft class is shaping up to be a unique one.
Despite less true star-power near the top, it’s brimming with potentially impactful NBA players, many of which could be slated for successful pro careers in smaller roles.
One of those is Reed Sheppard of Kentucky, who’s come on as one of college basketball’s best players over the past few weeks.
At just 19, the 6-foot-2 Sheppard has been one of the more polarizing players this year. An undersized guard, some organizations will likely question his overall impact as a potential three-and-D weapon, or even more down the line.
His production of late, though, has been undeniable.
In his last four games, Sheppard is averaging 19.3 points, 7.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 63% overall, 58% from three and 100% from the line on 2.5 attempts. On the season, he’s now boosted his stats per game to 12.7 points, 4.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals, hitting on 53% of his 3-pointers.
In Cerebro Sports’ database, among the top-seven conferences, Sheppard ranks No. 8 overall in the C-RAM metric. Suffice to say, that lands Sheppard analytically as one of the top producers in the nation, alongside other potential draftees in Zach Edey, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Devin Carter and more. The next freshman on the list is New Mexico’s JT Toppin at No. 20.
The eye test backs up Sheppard's play even more. He’s one of the more sure-handed players we’ve covered, and has an extremely replicable outside shot and defensive tendencies, regardless of the jump to the NBA.
Some teams might be out on Sheppard purely due to his size. But others are likely moving him up the board with a quickness, potentially as high as the top-five.
The history of undersized guards succeeding in the NBA isn't a long one. But of the ones that have — Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, Darius Garland and more — several possess similar traits to Sheppard in terms of feel for the game, decision-making and versatility.
All it will take is one team to value Sheppard's talents and he could be off the board much sooner than many think. And a strong NCAA Tournament push could help his case even more.
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