NBA Mock Draft: Rockets Add 'Lights Out' 3-Point Threat

The Houston Rockets are in need of some perimeter shooting in this year's draft.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 4, 2024

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are in need of shooting, and they should look through the draft this summer to find some.

In Bleacher Report's latest mock draft, the Rockets are slated to select Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard with the No. 8 overall pick.

"A down year from Jalen Green could make the Houston Rockets think differently about their 2-guard depth," Bleacher Report writes. "Reed Sheppard would give their backcourt a different feel with his ultra-efficient shooting and passing IQ. He'd be a strong off-ball fit with his lights-out stroke and ball-moving, though the flashes of ball-screen driving and pull-ups hint at another level of scoring upside that Kentucky's deep rotation may be masking."

Sheppard is averaging 12.4 points per game as a freshman, but more impressively, he's shooting better than 51 percent from behind the 3-point line on around four attempts per game.

The Rockets have a crowded guard rotation, so Sheppard's fit with the Rockets would be a question mark. Any rookie this team brings in will have to be a project as minutes will be far from a guarantee. After drafting Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore last season, adding another guard to the developmental mix could be a poor fit for anyone, even someone as talented as Sheppard.

Rockets Guard Green Is a 'Huge Weapon', Says Head Coach Udoka

However, if he can maintain a strong 3-point clip, his presence will help space the floor for the Rockets and make them a bigger threat on the perimeter next season.

Published Mar 4, 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.