With the 2024 NBA Draft just two weeks away, there is plenty of time to analyze the best fits for each of the top prospects in this class. One player who fits that bill is Kentucky's Reed Sheppard. Sheppard was arguably the best freshman in the country in 2023-24, flying up draft boards to become a potential top-five pick. Sheppard especially looks like a strong fit with the Houston Rockets or San Antonio Spurs should they choose to draft him.
Rockets find point guard of future
Houston has not shied away from drafting guards early in the draft. In 2021, they used the second overall pick on Jalen Green out of G League Ignite. Last year, the Rockets selected Amen Thompson fourth overall. About a week later, they signed Fred VanVleet to a three-year max contract. On paper, it doesn't seem like they need another guard.
But Sheppard's versatility can make Houston's offense even more potent. He can shine both with and without the ball in his hands, not only creating shots for himself, but finding looks for his teammates as well. Sheppard averaged 17.2 points and 6.2 assists per 40 minutes on ridiculous .536/.555/.521/.831 shooting splits. He can do a little bit of everything offensively.
In addition to that, Sheppard is an outstanding shooter, which allows him to be a threat at all times even he doesn't have the ball. He shot 52.1% from three on six attempts per 40 minutes. Sheppard also held his own defensively in his lone collegiate season. He doesn't project to be a great defender in the league, but his combine testing results could end up helping out in that regard.
Sheppard could walk into Houston as the most complete guard on their roster. Green is more wired to score than Sheppard, but has struggled with shot selection and playmaking in his first three years in the NBA. Thompson is not a shooter yet by any means. VanVleet has two years left on his deal, including a team option for 2025-26, and will be 31 next year.
Sheppard and Green can form a very dynamic backcourt alongside Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr. and Houston's bevy of talented young wings. The fit is great. He'd be a great pick for the Rockets.
Spurs get elite shooter for Victor Wembanyama
There is no team who needs more shooting and perimeter playmaking than the Spurs. They ranked 28th in the NBA in three-point shooting this season at 34.7%. Only the Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers finished below them. They also had just two players, Tre Jones and Devin Vassell, who averaged more than four assists per game.
Sheppard is not quite the pure point guard the Spurs really could use, but he's still a quality playmaker. San Antonio could also use the eighth overall pick on that archetype and use their fourth overall selection on Sheppard if he makes it there. He probably won't make it to eight, so it would be now or never with Sheppard at that point.
Everything the Spurs do going forward has to make life easier on Victor Wembanyama. The French wunderkind is undoubtedly their new franchise cornerstone, possessing as much potential as any player who's ever stepped foot on a basketball floor—unprecedented promise he began living up to as a rookie. But the rest of San Antonio's roster hasn't caught up to his greatness yet. They have to find players who fit with Wembanyama and can amplify his skillset.
Sheppard can do that with his offensive impact. His shooting can help give Wembanyama more space to operate. Sheppard can also get him the ball in more advantageous spots with his playmaking ability. Wembanyama can also cover for any shortcoming Sheppard may have defensively. The fit is absolutely there. If the Spurs have the chance to select Sheppard in the 2024 NBA Draft, they shouldn't hesitate.
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