Reed Sheppard was mostly a polarizing prospect throughout the NBA draft process. There were many who questioned his overall size and athletic profile despite his strong play. This is especially true for a number three overall selection, where ‘upside’ usually reigns supreme. Sheppard was the picture of consistency though and a statistical darling throughout his season. Sheppard’s rookie preview now excites NBA fans and includes expectations of competing for the highest accolades.
Let’s take a look at Sheppard’s rookie preview for this upcoming season.
NBA Rookie Preview: Reed Sheppard
Prospect Profile
Sheppard came into Kentucky as the 23rd overall prospect in the country. While this sounds like it would build hype, Sheppard was the fifth-highest-ranked player to sign with the Wildcats. They were headlined by a class that saw three of the top six overall players sign. It was Sheppard and teammate Rob Dillingham (ranked 15th overall) who came out on top, however. Sheppard filled the stat sheet at 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. He did this while also shooting an elite 52.1 percent from three, leading the nation in that category.
This leads us perfectly to Sheppard’s strengths as a prospect. He simply plays the game of basketball at a very high level. The stats mentioned above weren’t on low volume or Sheppard protecting his percentages. He was asked to be one of the primary scorers and ball handlers at Kentucky. He averaged 4.4 three-point attempts per game while maintaining a +2.5 assists-to-turnover ratio.
In terms of weaknesses, they mostly stem from the aforementioned physical traits Sheppard possesses. Sheppard’s height and average length won’t excite anyone. He measured at 6’1.75” without shoes on and held a 6’3.25” wingspan. His size limits his defensive versatility as he will only reliably guard the smaller, quicker guards in the NBA. However, it seems Sheppard even has some answers for his weaknesses. Sheppard shocked everyone when he recorded a combine high 42-inch max vertical jump. On defense, despite his average length, Sheppard is also a menace in passing lanes and utilizing angles. His 2.5 steals per game led the SEC and finished top-10 in the country.
Sheppard may not be the most glamorous prospect, but his rookie preview seems to flaunt very high production.
Team Fit
Sheppard is another top prospect, similar to Zaccharie Risacher, who will go to a young playoff-caliber team. The Rockets finished right at .500 last season, and just missed the play-in tournament in a competitive Western conference. The Rockets’ core is absolutely loaded with young talent. Jabari Smith, Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Cam Whitmore, Amen Thompson, and Tari Eason are all top-20 picks under the age of 24. Three of those six players are top-five selections. Each has shown great promise in their own ways, and they certainly have one of the more exciting young rosters in the league. They’ve also added veterans Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Steven Adams to bolster their roster as well.
This is what makes Sheppard’s rookie preview so intriguing. Where does he fit into this deeply talented and young roster? Right now, Sheppard will mostly compete with Thompson for both backup guard positions. VanVleet and Green should be the starting point and shooting guards respectively. The good thing is, that Thompson and Sheppard are the exact opposite as players. Sheppard is a sharpshooter who lacks ideal athletic traits, and Thompson is an elite athlete who lacks shooting. It really should make for an interesting rotation for the Rockets. Sheppard’s plus shooting ability and high IQ should allow him the versatility to play with any of the players mentioned above though.
Predictions
As you can see by now, Sheppard will only be asked to contribute as a role player for this season. Yet, Sheppard is a popular pick to win Rookie of the Year. A large part of this may be attributed to Sheppard’s strong performance in NBA Summer League. He averaged 20.0 points per game along with 2.8 steals, and made the All-Summer League First Team. This performance led many to believe he will have the exact same impact on the Rockets as a role player.
In my opinion, the Rockets’ rotation may be just a little to deep for Sheppard to put up the numbers that usually come with Rookie of the Year winners. He should be extremely efficient and impactful on a playoff-ready basketball team though, which always gives him a shot. Sheppard’s hurdles will be handling point guard responsibilities and remaining impactful on defense at the NBA level. If he passes those two tests, his amount of opportunity from the Rockets will increase dramatically. In turn, so will his Rookie of the Year chances.
At his worst though, his background points to a player that always performs efficiently and stuffs the stat sheet. This should make him an easy pick to at least make one of the All-Rookie teams at the end of the season.
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