2023 NBA Draft Live Tracker: Grading every pick made
2023 NBA Draft grade: No. 26 pick Ben Sheppard, Indiana Pacers
F. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 26. player. 100. Belmont. Ben Sheppard
Grade: B-
Ben Sheppard shot up draft boards with a strong pre-draft process. He put up big numbers all year at mid-major Belmont and brings strong 3-and-D traits to Indiana late in the first round.
That said, Sheppard isn’t a cookie-cutter shooter. He has some real pop attacking closeouts and getting downhill on straight-line drives. He finishes with touch around the rim and he’s a heads-up passer with some secondary playmaking upside.
The Pacers need wing depth, especially wings who don’t need the ball to impact winning. Bennedict Mathurin takes up a lot of oxygen; Sheppard can play off of Indiana’s stars and make plays within the flow of the offense.
From our NBA Draft Big Board:
"He flew under the radar at Belmont, but Ben Sheppard has NBA size at 6-foot-6 with one of the purest shooting strokes in the draft. His compact mechanics, excellent sense for off-ball movement, and positional versatility should have NBA teams intrigued in the second round."