SALT LAKE CITY – Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard is projected to be selected in the lottery of the 2024 NBA Draft where the Utah Jazz own a yet-to-be-determined top-ten pick.
The Jazz own three of the top 32 selections in the 2024 draft allowing them to add valuable pieces to their already young core.
Here’s how Sheppard would fit with the Jazz if he lands in Utah in late June.
Strengths: It is no hyperbole to say Sheppard enters the NBA draft as one of the best shooting prospects of all time.
The guard knocked down an unfathomable 52 percent of his 4.4 three-point attempts, and was elite as a spot-up shooter, in transition, or off the dribble.
But unlike some smaller shooters, Sheppard was also extremely reliable inside the arc shooting 55 percent on two-point field goal attempts during his lone season at Kentucky.
Despite his excellent shooting ability, the freshman maintained a disciplined shot profile rarely forcing bad looks out of rhythm within the offense.
Sheppard has a natural feel for floor spacing both as a shooter and a passer, easily finding gaps off the ball to shoot from, or picking apart opposing defenses with quick, accurate passes.
The guard also recognized how to break traps and double teams backing out at the point of attack to bring an extra defender near halfcourt, then creating an offensive advantage by passing over the top of the defense.
While Sheppard’s shooting might be the most elite skill by any one player in the draft, his outlet passing is also noteworthy.
Unlike many young guards who are prone to overdribbling to find their rhythm, Sheppard aggressively pushes the ball up the court with long passes to catch lazy defenders out of position.
With a better than 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, Sheppard has a chance to be a connective tissue player both on and off the ball at the NBA level.
Reed Sheppard was unconscious against Mississippi State to lead a comeback win for Kentucky:
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