Sheppard’s game reminds me of a former Rocket, and it turns out that’s not by accident.
Reed Sheppard was much of the talk of NBA Summer League and rightfully so. Averaging 20 ppg on 50 percent shooting, 5.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game, it certainly seems that Ime Udoka and Rafael Stone were justified in locking in on Sheppard as the “best player in the draft” according to them.
Reed was certainly impressive. We knew shooting was his strong suit, but as someone who admittedly doesn’t watch a ton of college basketball, I was very impressed with his defense and his ability to distribute the ball. But it was watching him navigate the pick-and-roll that made me make the comparison to one of the best point guards of all-time and a former Houston Rocket — Chris Paul.
Here is where some of you may be returning after closing out of your browser or maybe even throwing your phone. I mean, I am the guy who got lambasted for comparing the first three seasons of Jalen Green’s career with Kobe Bryant after all, so I can only imagine the backlash this might get, but hear me out.
I am not saying that Reed Sheppard is gonna be Chris Paul… although the comparison shouldn’t be that outrageous… Reed was the third pick in the draft, and CP3 was the fourth pick. (See what I did there?)
Chris Paul was a much higher-touted prospect and deservedly so. He was a little more athletic, had a better handle, and was believed to be a true floor general even in high school. But when I watch Reed Sheppard play, I see glimpses of an older, less athletic, but very cerebral and still talented Chris Paul. Let’s say, 2018 Houston Rockets Chris Paul.
The way Sheppard showed patience in the pick-and-roll, his decision making to either hunt for his spot on the floor when it was time to shoot or recognizing when it’s best to distribute the ball, just reminded me of Paul. Also, his ability to create space, pull up and hit the contested midrange looked very Chris Paul-like.
One of my favorite things about Chris Paul’s time as a Rocket was his leadership, and not just the vocal leadership, but the way he was able to calm the offense down and find good shots for himself and everyone else at times that the offense was getting hectic or out of sync.
So many times the Rockets would be either letting a lead slip away or be falling behind in a game and Chris Paul would enter and settle things down and get the team back on track, offensively and defensively. I don’t believe the Rockets miss 27 straight three-pointers in Game Seven of the 2018 WCF if Chris Paul was not injured and unable to play. That’s the kind of stabilizing effect a true point guard can have. Hopefully, Sheppard can continue to grow that ability.
All that being said, the odds that Reed Sheppard is going to be as great as Chris Paul are probably slim, and even I had to qualify when I said on my podcast (Houston Sports State of the Union Podcast) that he reminded me of Chris Paul, that I’m not saying he’s going to be Chris Paul.
However I wasn’t surprised, and I honestly felt somewhat validated, when I saw Reed Sheppard in an interview with Vanessa Richardson on “Rockets All Access” say that Chris Paul was his favorite player, and that he tries to emulate his game. You see! I’m not crazy!
Now, if Reed Sheppard can just be “Chris Paul-like” then it’s gonna be very hard for Ime Udoka to keep him off the floor. Especially if he can continue to impress on the defensive end with deflections, steals, and blocks. Playing behind Fred Vanvleet, who I consider to be “Chris Paul-ish” with his ability to navigate the floor at a smaller size and make the right play, should help Sheppard even more.
With his shooting, a decent handle, and the ability to play off the ball, if he can put it all together, then Ime Udoka is gonna have a good problem on his hands, and it should breed great competition in this year’s training camp.
Chris Paul enters his 20th season in the NBA and he has yet to win a title. This season, he will again be playing the role of mentor to a young San Antonio Spurs team. Last week’s schedule release revealed that the Rockets will play the Spurs twice in the first five games of the season. So perhaps we will see Reed Sheppard get to go up against CP3 early and often. One thing is for sure, if Reed Sheppard is getting minutes that early in the season it will be because he earned them on both sides of the floor. We may get to find out sooner than later just how much Reed Sheppard’s game takes after his favorite player.