Houston Rockets Rookie Reed Sheppard to Wear No. 15 Jersey

Reed Sheppard will wear No. 15 for the Houston Rockets amid his first season in the NBA.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Reed Sheppard arrives for the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Rockets introduced Reed Sheppard on Tuesday. The rookie prospect from Kentucky had a chance to share his journey from Mr. Basketball to the No. 3 overall pick in June. Sheppard's introduction also displayed his career jersey with the Rockets. The rookie guard will wear No. 15 in Houston.

During the 2023-24 season, Sheppard established himself as one of the top guards entering the draft. He averaged 12.5 points and 4.5 assists in 33 career games with the Kentucky Wildcats last season. With the selection of Sheppard, the Rockets obtained the best shooting prospect, someone who could create more floor spacing.

#Rockets Reed Sheppard: “I’m the guy on the team doing whatever it takes to win.” pic.twitter.com/J4WzYOBgGg

— Coty M. Davis (@CotyDavis_24) July 2, 2024

Sheppard improves Houston's subpar 3-point shooting. They shot 35.2 percent from behind the arc, finishing the season ranked 23rd.

Daishen Nix was the last player to wear No. 15 for the Rockets. Before him, DeMarcus Cousins held the number. Clint Capela arguably became the best player to wear the number. Capela played for the Rockets from 2014 to 2020. He averaged 12.2 points and 9.7 rebounds in 334 games played. The Rockets traded Capela to the Atlanta Hawks in February 2020.

"He has the effort, toughness, and competitiveness — it starts with that on the defensive end, having that mentality and mindset," coach Ime Udoka said. "What we saw in a lot of films was his deflections, his steals and team defense. He is always in the right spots. His anticipation is great. He will fit in with what we do well and will only get better as time goes on."

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