Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard is the first college player to come off the board in the 2024 NBA draft, heading to the Rockets with the third overall pick.
Sheppard wasn’t even a starter in his lone college season at Kentucky, but he averaged 28.9 minutes per game as the Wildcats’ sixth man and impressed NBA evaluators with his shooting, play-making, and good hands on defense.
In 33 games, Sheppard averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per contest while making 53.6% of his field goals, including 52.1% of his three-point tries. He also shot 83.1% from the free throw line.
There had been rumors in the days and weeks leading up to the draft that Houston was very open to trading the third overall pick, either in a package for an impact player or as part of a deal that would provide them with additional future draft assets.
But no trade materialized with the Rockets on the clock, and Sheppard has been the player long viewed as their likely target if they were to keep the pick. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), they intend to hang onto Sheppard, who will add shooting to a talented young Houston core headed by Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith.
Don’t forget Cam Whitmore is part of that core too. Been saying it on here for days Rockets will keep the pick and get Reed Sheppard. His shooting is needed on the Rockets
Rockets love their guards. Green, Christopher, Thompson, and a few others they drafted in the last 7 years. Traded for Porter Jr, Harden, and others as well. Surprised Tate Jr hasn’t moved off of PF to one of the guard positions. He’s 6”4 and has the ability to score off the bench. When cycling the rotation and the surplus of forwards, Tate fits the size of a guard than a forward. Most forwards on this club is 6”7-7”0.
Don’t forget Tari! But Reed was the best option with Holiday likely not coming back the only conventional point guard they have is Fred. And they’re kinda light at guard overall. I still think Amen would be better as a handler wing but he needs to learn to shoot and Cam is a 3(kinda seems like a copy and paste of KPJ before he was switched to PG). I like Reed and he might surprise everyone and become a top player, I prefer is offensive ceiling to Cam and Amen.
Also Tate did play a fair bit of PG later in the season but he has tunnel vision. He’ll be gone before the season starts, but yeah he’s smaller but he’s also a lot better than most as a wing defender hence why he was targeted before the deadline.
Kirk Hinrich
Mike Conley in game, measurables, and now draft (Conley was #4)