Defense, Playmaking Continue to be the Story for Rockets Rookie

He's much more than just a long-range shooter.

Jul 14, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington Wizards guard Johnny Davis (1) shoots against the defense of Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) and guard Nate Williams (19) during the second quarter at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

As expected, the Houston Rockets have put a good product on the floor in this year's Summer League. Well, minus Monday's game against the Detroit Pistons.

Cam Whitmore has followed up his MVP campaign with stellar play (again, with the exception of the Pistons game) and Reed Sheppard has been better than advertised. It was known that Sheppard was a good shooter, as he led the NCAA in long-range shooting (52.1 percent from deep), but the 20-year-old has impacted the game in more ways than just shooting.

In fact, Sheppard has The Ringer's Justin Verrier thinking that he's already too good for the Summer League.

"From his very first summer league action, the 20-year-old rookie already looked too good for the early July showcase. Sheppard, the no. 3 pick, immediately displayed a steely confidence and command of the Rockets offense, penetrating into the teeth of the defense with quick, decisive moves and making fast reads and pinpoint passes to the open man.

Sheppard’s lack of size will obviously elicit questions, but he is a surprisingly springy athlete (three blocks against the Lakers) and has awesome hands on defense (five steals against the Wizards).

Shooting will likely always be the calling card for a player who hit more than half of his college 3-pointers—indeed, his shot looks as smooth as advertised—but his deep shooting has felt like a bonus to his across-the-board production and firm grasp of the game. Sheppard clearly belongs at the NBA level; the question now may be how quickly he can outplay a reserve role on a very deep Rockets team."

All told, Sheppard has averaged 20 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, three steals, and 1.3 blocks through three games in Vegas.

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