NBA Free Agency 2017 Player Profile: Willie Reed

Weaknesses

While Reed is an expert at converting within three feet, he’s not so great at anything else on offense. He shot under 40 percent from every other distance range, and with four attempted threes in two years it’s fair to say Willie Reed is not a long-lost splash cousin.

He’s also not that from the charity stripe. Although he did improve from his rookie year in Brooklyn, Reed still shot just 55.7 percent from the free throw line this season–that’s “up” from 54.5 in his rookie season.

Although his advanced defensive metrics actually improved, Reed blocked less shots this past season. Keeping up those numbers would’ve really made it difficult to get to the rim against the Heat, with Whiteside and Reed both swatting shots.

Reed’s true weakness might be that he’s good at what he does, but that skill-set is limited. That might be a backhanded compliment, but it’s true. He’s got the ability to convert shots around the rim, rebound and play strong defense down low, but he’s not got that extra tool to make him a starter.