Reed assigned to G League
- Thread starter Catfan in Tn.
- Start date
He is buried behind a combo of young talent and veteran guards and hasn't gotten a huge shot, though to be fair he has been pretty disappointing in his limited minutes so far.
I still think he can have a good career but he needs to shoot threes at 40%+ to earn a permanent role in the league
I still think he can have a good career but he needs to shoot threes at 40%+ to earn a permanent role in the league
If that's what it takes to get Sheppard time on the floor it's a good thing.
Gotta play in games to get better. There’s a ton of good guards in the G league. That competition will make him better.
Got a ton of money but he was not ready for the league. His parents really should have known this! Another year of college playing under Pope (who Jeff played with) would have been helpful. Now he is playing in the G league and may well get recruited over
Another year at Kentucky might have too but that’s water under the bridge I guess.
He would never go top 3 after another year at UK so for that reason he made the right decision financially. Would love to have him here this season but it would have cost him a load of bucks. No disrespect but I still can't figure out how he went that high.
I've got a feeling that we won't have to worry about freshmen going pro before they're ready anymore. Pope is bringing in players who make the team better (the sum of the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, or however it goes). If a freshman leaves now he will be certainly ready.
Had he returned and slipped from 3rd to 10th it would have cost him roughly 13 million dollars. What parent here would tell their kid to take that kind of risk?
True, he should be set financially, but he wasn't ready for the pro game
Not being ready for the league and not being ready for the draft are two completely different things. He was right to leave when he did. Last year's draft was incredibly weak and he wouldn't have been drafted any higher in this year's draft even if he improved his game. Plus, now basketball is his full time job. There's nothing he would have learned with another year at UK that he can't learn while getting paid millions of dollars in the NBA, even if he spends some time in the G League.
The G-League is the best thing for him right now. His position at Houston is sort of stacked. This will give him some reps against some hungry competition, trying to break into the league. I think this will be a good move for him.
And like others have said, it would have been great to have Reed this year. He would have been a god on campus. However, financially, going pro easily made the most sense.
And like others have said, it would have been great to have Reed this year. He would have been a god on campus. However, financially, going pro easily made the most sense.
If you're going #3, you have to go. There is something to be said though for going when you're not ready and risking long term money. It's all about the second and third contract...
I still believe I was correct in saying last spring/summer that financially (long-term) he would have been better off coming back this season. That he needed a year of being the go-to guy (the one that gets a bucket when you need one), and to get stronger and maybe even quicker, and to become a better defender. That his goal shouldn’t be limited to getting as big a 1st contract as he can, but instead to get as big a 2nd contract as he can by being ready to play/contribute in year 1.
The only reason to go last year was if he was ready to contribute (clearly isn’t) or if afraid a 2nd year may expose his weaknesses more.
The only reason to go last year was if he was ready to contribute (clearly isn’t) or if afraid a 2nd year may expose his weaknesses more.
G league isn’t a death sentence any more, lots of good players go through there. It make sense to get real on court action instead of sitting.
He made the right decision last year by far, he's probably not even a lottery pick in most years. Another year at UK wont make him faster or taller. Anything else he could improve, he has more time to devote to improving against actual professionals on a daily basis in the NBA.
If you guys think a guy who is getting love for being in the top 10 is going to come back and play just because Pope is the coach vs Cal, you are fooling yourself.
Now, if he is on the bubble maybe middle of the second round, Pope is not going to run him off. He is going to recruit and he is going to do what he can to retain. But the portal and NIL make that very difficult.
My point is that Pope is not a miracle worker. He is not going to be able to wave a magic wand and get a bunch of guys to stay if they are getting love in the first round and it was obvious Reed was going in the first round.
Every player and situation is different. If a player is definitely going in the 1st round but probably 20th or higher it would make sense to come back if he had a great chance to move up. PJ Washington being an example. Late 1st round can be dicey. See Keldon Johnson. Pretty sure he never thought he would fall out of the 1st round but he almost did. If you're like Reed you had to go. I don't think Pope will have players with one foot out the door coming to UK. At least I hope not.
He was drafted higher than he ever would have been coming back. He made more money, at least initially, and probably overall, than he could ever catch up with after another year, especially as he was truly over-valued in a weak draft.
But here's the thing: How much will it matter to him when he's 40 or 50 or 60 or 70 that his lasting image as a Kentucky Wildcat is of being totally outplayed by a Horizon League stiff, looking scared and intimidated, and bowing out in one of the worst losses in Kentucky Basketball History?
Assuming he is going to have all the money anyone could ever spend from playing basketball, is the difference between lifetime earnings of $50 million and $60 million enough to compensate for taking another shot at feeling good about his legacy as a Wildcat?
Some will laugh and say that'll never cross his mind. I disagree, given his background, his family legacy and what was clearly his love of the Kentucky basketball program.
But here's the thing: How much will it matter to him when he's 40 or 50 or 60 or 70 that his lasting image as a Kentucky Wildcat is of being totally outplayed by a Horizon League stiff, looking scared and intimidated, and bowing out in one of the worst losses in Kentucky Basketball History?
Assuming he is going to have all the money anyone could ever spend from playing basketball, is the difference between lifetime earnings of $50 million and $60 million enough to compensate for taking another shot at feeling good about his legacy as a Wildcat?
Some will laugh and say that'll never cross his mind. I disagree, given his background, his family legacy and what was clearly his love of the Kentucky basketball program.
A perfect fit for this system.
A high, home town hero, ceiling for real NIL.
Forest Trees💰💰💰
At least he can play. I don’t know why Houston drafted him if they didn’t need him. But for those saying he should’ve stayed, I mean, yeah as a fan it would’ve been awesome but a kid from North Laurel High School was going to be a top three pick in the NBA Draft.
Not a single one of us would’ve passed on that.
Not a single one of us would’ve passed on that.
Not saying he should have stayed, but anyone saying the G league is a " good thing" for his career is delusional.
I would rather play and improve my game in the g league than sit on the bench every night doing nothing.
I posted the comment in the Reed thread about a week ago, that a G-League stint would be beneficial to him. Nothing beats live game reps to improve shooting and other areas needing work.
He made the right decision, he got drafted by the wrong team
As much as we all love and respect his talent, he's still a kid. When he finally fills out as a full grown man his game will follow. The G league should benefit him and also help his confidence.
I just checked his 4 year contract. He was never getting more money if he stayed another year as he would not have been drafted as high. He can literally live off his 4 year contract forever and never have a concern n this world.
His parents will advise him to not spend it all like some young players do.
His parents will advise him to not spend it all like some young players do.
What do people think he would have learned at UK that he can’t learn in the G league along with professional trainers? UK doesn’t have some secret sauce the professionals don’t. It makes sense to go and lock that money up and if he ended up in the G league playing against great skilled players everyday he is still better off than at UK, unless he was in college for the environment.
Most rookies play in the g league now. #3 picks might not as often, but he's just not going to get major minutes on the team he got drafted to, and game experience will be good for him. The NBA doesn't draft based on who's "ready." They draft on who they think you will be. Fans here also like to pretend - and it is only pretend - that playing longer in college is obviously superior to a player's development than being on an NBA roster and/or playing in the g league. People can't just be honest that we want guys in college for the sake of the college game and for our favored team.
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Agree 100%. Was hoping he would go to the Spurs and learn from Chris Paul. Run the pick and roll with Wemby. Udoka puts a lot of emphasis on defense and Reed isn’t a good on-ball defender, at least not yet.
If Jeff was in the same situation at that age, I don't see him turning it down. It would be financially irresponsible to return for his sophomore season.
And going too early costs him a second/third etc. nba contract?
