Reed Sheppard now the projected No. 1 pick in 2024 NBA Draft

No, that’s not a typo. Your eyes are not deceiving you. This is not a Big Blue Nation fanfiction.

Reed Sheppard of London, Kentucky is now a projected No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

The Ringer released its latest mock draft on Monday and moved North Laurel’s own up to the very top, timely considering his 27-point effort with seven 3-pointers in Knoxville this past weekend. Sheppard is playing out of his mind and the draft experts are officially buying what he’s selling.

Kevin O’Connor projects the San Antonio Spurs to win the Draft Lottery and pair the Kentucky freshman with superstar rookie Victor Wembanyama as the franchise’s next great one-two punch under Gregg Popovich.

“Sheppard stands out as a prime option because of his shooting prowess, playmaking feel, and defensive intensity, which was put on display once again in Kentucky’s road win in Tennessee over the weekend. Is no. 1 too early to take Sheppard, who measures just 6-foot-3 and 187 pounds?” O’Connor wrote. “He would be the shortest top pick since Kyrie Irving in 2011 and the lightest since Allen Iverson in 1996. But while Sheppard might be on the smaller side, I believe he’s worthy, especially given the overall strength of the class and his potential fit with the Spurs, where his lack of size could be mitigated by an all-time defender protecting the paint.

“Together, Wembanyama and Sheppard could become one of the NBA’s best duos.”

Imagine reading that line going into the season.

When separating the pros and cons of Sheppard’s game, the former list is significantly longer than the latter, as we’ve noticed this season in Lexington.

Comparing his game to current Boston Celtics standout Derrick White, The Ringer calls him a “menacing defender and sparkplug scorer who plays bigger than his body.”

Check out the complete breakdown below:

PLUSES

• He might be small, but he makes a massive defensive impact with incredible instincts and quick hands. He’s a nuisance on the ball who can bother any ball handler and a playmaker off of it, intercepting cross-court feeds, swiping at passing lanes, and blowing up actions by being a step ahead of screeners.
• Mentally strong. Mistakes never get him down and he has a next-play mentality.
• Excellent shooter with a quick, high release and deep range. Kentucky doesn’t feature him off of screens, but he has the ability to shoot off of movement and his skills off the dribble are encouraging for his overall upside. If he’s given any space, he’s launching.
• Elite connective playmaker who dishes gorgeous outlets and kick-aheads on the break, and makes rapid decisions in the half court.
• Can he become a lead point guard? His ballhandling still needs to be mastered, but he has the necessary baseline handling skills with a speedy left-to-right crossover and a bag of hesitation moves. Both the poise and passing vision are there in pick-and-roll, too.
• He’s a below-the-rim athlete, but he has soft touch using either hand and good footwork. He doesn’t utilize a floater yet, but clearly has the touch to integrate it.

MINUSES

• As stellar a defender as he is, size will always be a concern against players who can simply overpower him. There will be a learning curve and perhaps a limit to what he can do to contain them.
• Needs to improve against ball pressure. He lacks reps in isolation, and he occasionally gets swallowed up by lengthy defenders on his drives. In general, he has a habit of picking up his dribble, rather than passing within the flow of the offense.

The Ringer

Elsewhere, Rob Dillingham comes in at No. 8 to give the Cats two top-10 picks. O’Connor compares his game to Lou Williams and Bones Hyland, calling him an “electric bucket-getter who is starting to develop as a playmaker.”

PLUSES

• Dynamic shot creator who uses shifty change-of-direction moves to slither wherever he wants on the floor. He can get into the paint for runners and crafty layups, or pull up from behind the arc.
• Draining nearly half of his catch-and-shoot 3s this season, hitting them both off movement and in standard spot-ups. Add in his willingness to cut, or even set an occasional screen, and he could be extremely dangerous off of screens and handoffs if paired with a playmaking big.
• Skilled playmaker who can smoothly make passes off the dribble, including cross-court kickouts and lefty wraparounds to cutters. Within the flow of the offense, he makes quick decisions and keeps the ball moving.
• Becoming more of a willing passer. He’s passed out of the pick-and-roll in 57 percent of possessions at Kentucky, up from 43 percent of the time with the Overtime Elite. This is a critical step in his development, after he looked like a wild, unreliable creator at Donda Academy. By changing his game, he shows a willingness to adapt and fit into a team concept.
• Plays with effort—bordering on recklessness—on defense, chasing shooters through screens and handoffs, or helping swipe at the ball.

MINUSES

• Active but erratic defender who too often falls out of position by getting handsy, lost, or simply lacking the understanding of what an opponent is doing. His fundamentals need to dramatically improve because there’s no way to solve his lack of size.
• Measured at only 6-foot-1 with Overtime Elite. Not only is he short, but he has a slight frame and is unlikely to be able to add a ton of muscle. Even if he’s focused on defense, his lack of size will always be an issue.
• Needs to improve his passing accuracy if he’s going to run an NBA offense. He regularly swings the ball to teammates, but they need to reach for it, which can throw them off their rhythm getting into a shot. He’s flat-out missed on some lobs, too. It’s as if he passes the ball to the area he assumes his teammate is going to be, rather than actually reading the floor.
• Will he be able to finish as well at the NBA level? He’s been solid in college, but pro length will be a new challenge. Learning how to draw fouls would also go a long way toward improving his interior scoring.

The Ringer

The Ringer’s mock is more fit-based considering the teams’ expected draft positions, opening the door for Sheppard at No. 1. In the outlet’s updated big board, though, he’s No. 2 overall, followed by Dillingham at No. 7. Down the list into second-round territory comes Justin Edwards at No. 39 and DJ Wagner at No. 45 to round out the top 50.

But today is about Reed Sheppard at No. 1.

(The Ringer)