Jonathan Givony made a scathing comment regarding Reed Sheppard being selected as the number one choice in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The consensus among NBA analysts and executives regarding the 2024 NBA Draft was, for the most part, the same long before San Antonio Spurs officially selected reigning Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. This consensus could be summed up in one simple, uninspired, guttural sound: meh.
Naturally, it would be challenging for any draft class to match the excitement of the previous year’s, especially if you’re focusing just on elite talent, given the strength of the Victor Wembanyama-led class of 2023, which includes highly anticipated prospects Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller. The 2024 NBA Draft is just a few weeks away, but there is still no obvious top choice or even top prospect. However, that might be about to change, according to ESPN’s NBA Draft expert Jonathan Givony, as Kentucky Wildcats guard Reed Sheppard is drawing attention everywhere he goes—in Chicago, Los Angeles, or even in the statistical models running on NBA executives’ laptops.
“Sheppard has been ranked as the No. 1 prospect in several draft models due to his statistical profile, which includes excellent steal, block, and passing metrics along with an incredible scoring efficiency of 56% FG%, 52% 3P%, and 83% FT%). This has undoubtedly caught the attention of analytical front offices.”
“Sheppard measured a little bigger than expected at 6-3 in shoes while testing a 42-inch vertical leap in Chicago,” writes Jonathan Givony. Reed Sheppard, who spent the season coming off the bench for former Kentucky head coach John Calipari and instantly igniting the Wildcats, has not only tested and measured off the charts, but he has also impressed on the court, standing out as the best shooter in the class. As a result, Sheppard currently seems to have the best chance of anyone to be selected first in the 2024 NBA Draft, making history as the fifth Coach Cal product to do so.
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