Reed Sheppard dazzles in NBA Summer League debut against Bronny James, Dalton Knecht
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Reed Sheppard was deep in his bag like the fries were at the bottom Friday night inside the Thomas & Mack Center on Friday.
Rather, that’s how ESPN’s Mark Jones described the rookie guard out of Kentucky.
“HE WAS DEEP IN HIS BAG LIKE THE FRIES WERE AT THE BOTTOM”
Mark Jones was loving this from Reed Sheppard pic.twitter.com/93kViWxlfk
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 13, 2024
Sheppard had just cooked former Tennessee standout Dalton Knecht in his Summer League debut for the Houston Rockets, but he wasn’t picky. He was an equal opportunity chef as he dazzled time and time again on the offensive end of the floor for the Rockets. In a 99-80 win over Knecht, Bronny James, and the Los Angeles Lakers, Sheppard scored 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting in 29 minutes.
He made 4 of his 6 shots from beyond the arc. He added 5 assists and 4 rebounds. And he got involved on the defensive end, with 3 blocks and a steal. With Sheppard on the floor, Houston outscored the Lakers by 21.
In last month’s NBA Draft, Sheppard was the third overall selection, becoming the highest-drafted Kentucky player since Karl-Anthony Towns was taken first overall in 2015. He was also the highest-drafted guard Kentucky has had since John Wall went first in 2010.
Kentucky has produced a number of outstanding NBA guards in recent years, but none of them were drafted as high as Sheppard. And while there was very little consensus about how the top of the 2024 NBA Draft would unfold, there was never really a question of where Sheppard would land. He was locked into the No. 3 spot for weeks leading up to draft night, a natural fit for the Rockets as a smooth scorer who can do it in a number of ways.
And that was on display Friday night.
Sheppard knocked down shots off the dribble. He made shots off the catch. He attacked closeouts to get inside. He drove and kicked for corner 3s. He hit teammates cutting back door. He worked off screens and freed himself with silky crossovers.
He looked right at home.
Reed Sheppard was everything he was advertised to be tonight.
23 PTS | 4 REB | 5 AST | 3 BLK | 1 STL
9-17 FG
4-6 3Ppic.twitter.com/R4a6yMTl3n https://t.co/scw2g9Nurm
— RocketsMuse (@RocketsMuse) July 13, 2024
It was a Summer League game, so the caliber of competition wasn’t quite what Sheppard will face when the regular season begins, but he certainly looked like a confident player. No concern for who was guarding him, no compunctions about dropping a bucket on their head.
Knecht finished with a game-high 25 points (9-18 FG, 5-11 3P) but he was one of only 3 Lakers in double-digits. James had just 8 points on 3-of-14 shooting.
Sheppard was the star of the show.
Sheppard should get at least one more chance to play in Summer League. The Rockets could opt to exercise caution with their first-round selection, but more basketball is always good for a young player’s development. The Rockets face the Washington Wizards on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET (ESPN2).
Currently, former Purdue big man Zach Edey is the favorite to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award at most major US sportsbooks. At DraftKings, Sheppard is +800 to win the award, giving him the fourth-shortest odds of any rookie. Kentucky residents who want to place a wager on Sheppard can do so with this DraftKings Kentucky promo code.
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Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
