The Houston Rockets took a big step forward this past season, nearly doubling their win total from the year before. Ime Udoka’s squad is looking to take the next step and open their championship window, but they’ll need young players to step up.
One of those young players is Reed Sheppard, who the team drafted with the third overall pick in this year's draft. With Summer League in the rearview mirror, is Sheppard ready to contribute as a rookie, or will significant flaws slow him down? Let's find out.
Who is Reed Sheppard?
Reed Sheppard is a 20-year-old combo guard who grew up in London, Kentucky, and played one year of college under John Calipari at the University of Kentucky. After averaging 12.5 points per game during his lone college season and finding a way to stand out among a loaded Kentucky backcourt, Sheppard declared for the 2024 NBA Draft and was selected by the Houston Rockets.
Sheppard’s strength is his outside shooting
Sheppard’s calling card is his three-point shooting. He’s good in a lot of areas and has many strengths, but beyond the arc is where he differentiates himself from other players. He’s not just a good shooter, he was one of the best shooters in the 2024 draft and is one of the best shooters on the Rockets. There’s an argument to be made that he’s already one of the top 20 or 25 shooters in the NBA.
The young guard for the Rockets has the potential to be much more than just a shooter, though, and these other skills will determine whether he becomes a true difference-maker in Space City.
In Summer League play, the Kentucky native demonstrated the potential to create for himself and for others. He utilized advanced dribbling moves and skilled footwork to create separation from the defense with a steady dose of stepbacks, sidesteps, and other moves.
Sheppard’s lack of size is his greatest weakness
Sheppard has a lot going for him, but he also has a few key weaknesses that must be taken into consideration. The first is his lack of size. That's something he'll always have to contend with and he'll always have doubters because of it. Shepherd is just 6-foot-2 with a barely 6-foot-3 wingspan. This will make it very difficult for him to excel defensively at the NBA level, and it could impact him offensively as well.
Another weakness for Sheppard was his ball-handling ability. He has decent enough control over his dribble to limit avoidable turnovers and attack defenders who are out of control. If Sheppard catches a pass at the three-point line and the defender is recklessly flying out to contest, he’s able to pump fake and put the ball on the floor for a couple of dribbles without turning it over.
However, his ability to do much more than that was unknown at best. He had yet to prove that he could consistently break down a defender off the dribble and beat the opposing player to the basket. He also hadn’t inspired trust that he could be trusted to attempt these moves without becoming a turnover machine.
Summer League performance wit h the Rockets
Overall, Sheppard excelled in Summer League play. His shooting was as advertised, but he also showed the ability to create for others and shoot off the dribble. He was able to create space, efficiently and knock down difficult contested shots off of stepbacks, side steps, crossovers, and other moves.
Sheppard also showed the ability to get to the rim and finish tough looks in the face of defensive pressure.
He didn’t have a perfect performance but was about as good as could have been realistically expected. Perhaps most encouragingly, Sheppard showcased an improved ability to beat his defender off the dribble, whether that was driving to the rim or creating space for three-point shots. He also showed enough ball-handling chops to run the offense as a floor general.
Biggest concern
After watching Sheppard in Las Vegas during Summer League play, it's clear that the biggest concern the Rockets should have regarding the former Kentucky star is his size. Sure, the concerns about his creation ability and ball-handling are still there to some extent. No amount of Summer League play could ever quiet these concerns alone no matter how good the rookie's performance was. Summer League is simply too small of a sample size for anybody to be able to say with confidence that their concerns are alleviated.
However, Sheppard took steps in the right direction in terms of his playmaking, ballhandling, and creation abilities. The one thing he can never improve, though, is his size. He’s likely done growing and he won’t get any taller or longer than he is now.
If Sheppard can’t carry his weight on the defensive end, he may struggle to earn playing time. Well, he can’t improve his height or length, he can take steps to become a more impactful defensive player. Sheppard can hold his instincts and beat opposing players to their spots in the first place. He can work on his explosiveness to help him jump passing lanes and intercept lazy or errant passes.
He demonstrated some potential in this department during the Summer League, but not enough to ease fans’ concerns. It’s not likely to be a fatal flaw, but his defensive impact is something to keep an eye on going forward.
Follow Us
Subscribe
