Reed Sheppard’s Case for Rookie of the Year

Houston’s newest guard joins a crowded lineup, but holds limitless potential.

Jul 14, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) shoots against the Washington Wizards during the third quarter at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

After a few years of down luck, it finally came back around for the Houston Rockets in the form of a lottery-night jump. And the No. 3 pick — which was nine spots ahead of where they were projected to fall — eventually yielded Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard.

At around 6-foot-2, Sheppard is a combo guard with an incredibly unique blend of skills, namely instinctual on-ball play, 3-point shooting and athletic off-ball defense. All of which contributed to his 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game in his lone season with the Wildcats. He managed to shoot 53% overall and a scorching 52% from beyond the arc.

At Summer League, his skills carried over flawlessly, and even left many wondering if Kentucky had given him the adequate burn. In four Summer League games, he averaged 20.0 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game in around 33 minutes. 

Now, Sheppard is near-consensus to be one of the top Rookie of the Year finishers for the upcoming season.

But will taking home hardware really be realistic for Sheppard?

He joins a Rockets varsity roster loaded with talent, especially at the guard position. A former All-Star in Fred VanVleet heads up the point guard position, followed by last year’s top pick in high-flier Amen Thompson.

In the starting shooting guard position stands former No. 2 pick Jalen Green, who despite not living up to his potential just yet it still supremely talented.

Suffice it to say, Sheppard will have his work cut out for him in getting the counting stats necessary to bring home the Rookie of the Year Award. But his skillset should lend itself well to thriving in the team’s core. If he can maintain his confidence and knock down shots, there’s an outside chance he’ll finish with a shiny new piece for his trophy case.

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