Reed Sheppard is receiving very high praise as he begins his NBA career

Sheppard could be the best player in his draft class.

Sep 30, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) during Houston Rockets media day. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The NBA season doesn't officially begin for two more weeks, but preseason games are already underway. One former Wildcat is already catching the eyes of many scouts, fans, and people around the league. Reed Sheppard has been receiving a ton of praise recently, and had an impressive second preseason game for the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

In 23 minutes of action Thursday, Sheppard had 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and was very efficient with his shooting, going 5-7 overall with a made three-pointer. The praise didn't just start after this performance. For Kentucky fans, they know all about what Sheppard can do. Earlier this week, Yahoo Sports' Tom Haberstroh had some very high praise for Sheppardthat had people buzzing about it. He discussed it in an appearance on the Kevin O'Connor Show on Tuesday.

"I think by the end of the year, people will start coming on to our little bandwagon here with Reed Sheppard. ...He's not Steph Curry, but I think he's the closest thing to Steph Curry that we've seen in a long time."

- Haberstroh's high praise for Sheppard.

Not only that, but Haberstroh also likes him in the long-term, and thinks he can become an even better shooter than he was in his time at Kentucky.

"I do think he's the best player in this class, this rookie class. I do think he has the best long-term future in this class. ...If you watch this guy play, he's not a stiff out there. He's not Steph Curry playing above the rim. He's a lot more dynamic, a lot more athletic, and I think he's just a much better shooter than we saw at Kentucky. Even though he was great percentage wise, I just think volume wise he's way more than what I think he shot at Kentucky."

- Haberstroh on Sheppard long-term

It's crazy to think that Reed Sheppard can become even better than what he was at Kentucky. He has a very bright future in the league, and it will be fun to follow him throughout his rookie season in Houston.