Knecht in the latest ESPN mock draft

#53
#53
sami said:
Sheppard is an ultra-safe pick with a high floor in a crap shoot draft. At worst he's going to be a great team guy and a solid role player who can shoot the lights out. The bust factor with him is almost non-existent.
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Reed will be exposed on the defensive end every nite.
 
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#56
#56
If he’s more of a plug and play shooter/scorer type, beside the spurs .. what teams are looking for that? I’d love to see him on the Celtics or LAkers actually
 
#58
#58
Dougie_D said:
If he’s more of a plug and play shooter/scorer type, beside the spurs .. what teams are looking for that? I’d love to see him on the Celtics or LAkers actually
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Please no to either of them, those are the two teams I most hope he avoids. As a Sixers fan, he would fit like a glove, but he'll never make it to #16. A player like DK will be a fit most anywhere, but I just hope he ends up in a place that is either contending or really building something, like San Antonio. I'd hate to see him in a place like Detroit where he'll be in oblivion.
 
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#60
#60
The Magic ranked among the worst 3-point shooting teams this season and will look to improve in that area this offseason. He also doesn't need plays called for him, which could be attractive operating alongside existing young stars Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. -- Givony

Please trade up, please trade up, please trade up
 
#62
#62
DK is very likely to be a better player for a longer period of time than any of the other college players in this draft class. He is a bigger, stronger, more versatile player than Sheppard. And I saw him develop into a pretty solid defender.

The only area where Sheppard is possibly equal/better is 3 point shooting but at his height that's debatable and I don't see it. He is not a wizard with infinite range like Curry. Pro sports GMs can be really stupid at times and pass up better players for a hope and prayer on a lesser player. Unless Sheppard has a 4 inch growth spurt I don't see him ever being more than a specialized role player. Who gives a damn if he is only 19?
 
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#63
#63
And Dillingham is going to flame out. That kid is going to get abused with his frame. No way he is a able to add much more than 10 pounds without losing his best attributes.

Can't have an effective SG that small and he is not a guy that creates for others at PG.
 
#65
#65
Can someone explain to me how the guard from Purdue was projected as a lottery pick earlier in the year? WTF are these anal cysts (analysts) smoking because even a crackhead or meth head from Indiana wouldn't project that kid as a lottery pick....I don't even think he should be drafted, unless WW3 breaks out.

His profile literally said he was tough but was bad or needed to improve on pretty much every other aspect of his game. He didn't show much of anything when I watched Purdoo this year.
 
#66
#66
gainesvol82 said:
And Dillingham is going to flame out. That kid is going to get abused with his frame. No way he is a able to add much more than 10 pounds without losing his best attributes.

Can't have an effective SG that small and he is not a guy that creates for others at PG.
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I like Rob he kind of reminds me of Trae Young
 
#67
#67
AllThingsTN said:
I like Rob he kind of reminds me of Trae Young
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Love his aggressive nature as a scorer and his ability to create his own shot. He has a lot of moxie and a killer instinct that I wish more UT players under Barnes had. I don't like that it seems to be the only way he knows or is willing to play and I don't know how successful he can be with a good or elite perimeter defender on him. His quickness and cleverness does help. I don't watch much NBA any more but can you imagine Jimmy Butler or Steven Jackson in their prime guarding him? Hell, what about a guy like Mashack guarding him the entire game?

Dilly's ability to hit low percentage, contested shots is an asset but should never be the first option. The guys I mentioned would mostly shut him down because they don't leave their feet, are quick enough to stay in front or push him to the help if he does get by them and can put a physical beating on him. That's not even considering some of the smaller, quicker elite defenders in the league who will also be more physical than him.

Getting on a hot streak from very deep or having a coach who can create plays to get him open can help but that's not really his game or how NBA coaches typically draw things up today. Dillingham isn't an aggressive rim attacker and would not be effective in the league at his size even if he was.

Where I really dislike his game the most is that he is not a facilitator at all. I rarely saw him make plays for others or even really look to pass. That can be taught but would take time, doesn't seem to be part of his natural makeup so not sure he would willingly take to it and still doesn't solve the physicality issue.

I could be wrong but I just don't see him being effective in the NBA even as a microwave scorer off the bench. Teams typically keep a couple of good perimeter defenders on the bench to shut down guys like him that are potential instant offense.

He could be a great multi-year college player but as a professional I see him playing overseas or languishing in the G League for a few years.
 
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#69
#69
gainesvol82 said:
I could be wrong but I just don't see him being effective in the NBA even as a microwave scorer off the bench. Teams typically keep a couple of good perimeter defenders on the bench to shut down guys like him that are potential instant offense.

He could be a great multi-year college player but as a professional I see him playing overseas or languishing in the G League for a few years.
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Seems harsh.

I think he is insanely talented offensively. I did see him demonstrate court vision and passing skills. He threw plenty of good lobs and no look passes to UK's very unskilled bigs all the time.

But he was the actual worst defender I saw in college basketball last year. That is gonna be the thing with him.

Monta Ellis, Jamal Crawford, Lou Williams

I think he comps to players like that most likely. Good, but not great. Mostly 6 man type players. Good offense. Bad defense.

But if he improves his defense to just below average instead of terrible, he can be an all-star level talent. Or if he never figures it out, like you said, there won't be a place for him. If you can't defend, you get exposed in the playoffs.
 
#72
#72
omghulkhands said:
Seems harsh.

I think he is insanely talented offensively. I did see him demonstrate court vision and passing skills. He threw plenty of good lobs and no look passes to UK's very unskilled bigs all the time.

But he was the actual worst defender I saw in college basketball last year. That is gonna be the thing with him.

Monta Ellis, Jamal Crawford, Lou Williams

I think he comps to players like that most likely. Good, but not great. Mostly 6 man type players. Good offense. Bad defense.

But if he improves his defense to just below average instead of terrible, he can be an all-star level talent. Or if he never figures it out, like you said, there won't be a place for him. If you can't defend, you get exposed in the playoffs.
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I just don't think he can put on enough lean muscle to be effective. He is going to have to rely on making difficult, contested shots against bigger and more physical guys. That's a difficult way to build a career but guys have done it before and Dillingham has shown the ability to do so on the college level in the most physical league as a freshman.

However, he won't be getting the benefit of a favorible UK whistle in the NBA. I just don't see him being able to add enough strength to utilize pics as effectively as necessary, drive to the basket, etc. He will have to rely completely on his quickness and being crafty.

Agreed on him being terrible on defense.
 
#73
#73
cncchris33 said:
I think the question you have to ask is what aspect of the game is Sheppard projected to be better at in four years?

They are pretty close as shooters, so maybe give the slight edge to Shep. Knecht is more athletic. Knecht is 3.5 inches taller with a much longer wingspan and standing reach. Shep may be a better defender. At 6'-1.75", he's going to have to prove he can play PG and defend them in the toughest league in the world. I guess if you're a gambler, you project Shep as a middle-class Steph Curry. But Knecht already has the goods and isn't ambiguous from a positional standpoint. He's a ready-made NBA SG. A contending team is going to love him.

And none of that is a knock on Reed Sheppard.
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The NBA sees a 18-19 year old and they see a blank canvas. they look at guys like Giannis, Steph Curry etc and think what if we could do that? trust me they are looking at him and seeing that can we make this guy a point guard that can shoot lights out? The bones are there can we build it? This draft class is fine.. the thing that makes it weird its its the last COVID draft class and very heavy on International players and the last injection of Ignite. Most of the young one and done guys took different paths and because of Portal/NIL a lot of guys that would have been one-and-dones stayed an extra few years. A lot of guys that might have went overseas after their normal senior year ended up playing an extra 2-3 years. Things will normalize again somewhat after this year. But teams are not playing freshmen like they used to out of need because they can get a ready-developed guy in the portal to play in front of him.
 
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#74
#74
Knecht at San Antonio would give me a decently fleeting reason to give a crap about the NBA. Would love to see them build Knecht up into something greater than he already is. And considering how much the NBA has tilted the game in favor of offense, I can't help but think Knecht can play to his strengths even more at that level.
 
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#75
#75
gainesvol82 said:
Love his aggressive nature as a scorer and his ability to create his own shot. He has a lot of moxie and a killer instinct that I wish more UT players under Barnes had. I don't like that it seems to be the only way he knows or is willing to play and I don't know how successful he can be with a good or elite perimeter defender on him. His quickness and cleverness does help. I don't watch much NBA any more but can you imagine Jimmy Butler or Steven Jackson in their prime guarding him? Hell, what about a guy like Mashack guarding him the entire game?

Dilly's ability to hit low percentage, contested shots is an asset but should never be the first option. The guys I mentioned would mostly shut him down because they don't leave their feet, are quick enough to stay in front or push him to the help if he does get by them and can put a physical beating on him. That's not even considering some of the smaller, quicker elite defenders in the league who will also be more physical than him.

Getting on a hot streak from very deep or having a coach who can create plays to get him open can help but that's not really his game or how NBA coaches typically draw things up today. Dillingham isn't an aggressive rim attacker and would not be effective in the league at his size even if he was.

Where I really dislike his game the most is that he is not a facilitator at all. I rarely saw him make plays for others or even really look to pass. That can be taught but would take time, doesn't seem to be part of his natural makeup so not sure he would willingly take to it and still doesn't solve the physicality issue.

I could be wrong but I just don't see him being effective in the NBA even as a microwave scorer off the bench. Teams typically keep a couple of good perimeter defenders on the bench to shut down guys like him that are potential instant offense.

He could be a great multi-year college player but as a professional I see him playing overseas or languishing in the G League for a few years.
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I see him as a journeyman 6th man microwave scorer type. Kinda like Reggie Jackson. Not good enough to be the first option on a good team but undeniably a bucket.
 
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