For the third year in a row, the Detroit Pistons have had the No. 5 overall pick in the NBA Draft. Although this class has been labeled as lackluster, there are still a few prospects in this group.
Now that the Pistons know where to pick, they can start compiling a list of realistic candidates to draft. He's not a flashy player, but there's one name that should be on their board.
Reed Shepard is among the candidates expected to be in the lottery. He is a 6-foot-3 guard who played at Kentucky for the past year. In his only college season, Shepard averaged 12.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 4.5 APG.
Shepard may be a little undersized as a guard, but one thing he does very well is shoot from beyond the arc. At Kentucky, he shot an impressive 52.1% from 3-point range on 4.5 attempts per game.
While showing off his talent at the NBA Draft Combine, Shepard put his shooting talent on full display.
Reed Shepard shows off his picture-perfect shooting stroke during 3-point shooting practice at the NBA Draft Combine. pic.twitter.com/zvgerTRsFb
— Jonathan Gibboney (@DraftExpress) May 13, 2024
Drafting a player like Shepard is a no-brainer considering the Pistons were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA last season. He fills a key area of need and could easily play alongside Cade Cunningham in the backcourt. If Detroit leaves with Shepard on draft night, they would have a pair of young sharpshooting combo guards in him and Marcus Sasser.
Looking at mock drafts, the Pistons may need some luck to target Shepard. He's scattered throughout the top 10 and even ranked as high as number 3 in some cases. With his complementary style of play, Shepard should definitely be a prospect that Detroit should keep an eye on.
