Rockets' Reed Sheppard Predicted for Rookie of the Year Honor

Reed Sheppard could win Rookie of the Year for the Houston Rockets.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 21, 2024

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

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Houston Rockets

Houston Rockets No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard shined while with the team at the Las Vegas Summer League last month, impressing many people associated with the league.

ESPN conducted a survey of "a group of NBA experts, including reporters, editors and analysts" to choose "its top three choices for the NBA's six major awards, with a first-place vote receiving five points, a second-place vote receiving three and a third-place vote receiving one."

Sheppard came on top for Rookie of the Year voting with 74 points and 62 percent of the first-place votes.

"Victor Wembanyama ran away with the Rookie of the Year award last season, but following a draft without a consensus No. 1 pick, the race for this year's award is wide open entering the 2024-25 campaign," ESPN writes. "Sheppard, the No. 3 pick in this year's draft, led the voting this season after a standout performance at summer league. He averaged 20.0 points, 5.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game in Las Vegas and should slot into a Rockets lineup ready for a playoff push."

Memphis Grizzlies center and No. 9 overall pick Zach Edey came in second place with 40 points and 14 percent of the first-place votes while Portland Trail Blazers big man and No. 7 overall pick Donovan Clingan finished in third with 27 points and 10 percent of the first-place votes.

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Published Aug 21, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.