Rockets' Reed Sheppard Ranks Among Summer League's Top-Ten Players

Should he have been lower?

Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) dribbles the ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) during the first half at the Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

Reed Sheppard was the best shooter in the country at the collegiate level last season, as he made 52.1 percent of his treys at Kentucky. Sheppard's defense and playmaking was also on display, as he led the Wildcats in both assists and steals in his lone season in Lexington.

Sheppard was selected with the third overall pick in this year's draft, prompting questions from many. However, in spite of those questions, Sheppard made the list of the top 30 players in the Summer League, as Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley placed him at ninth place.

"Is this underselling Reed Sheppard? Maybe. There is definitely a chance he posts some of the wilder numbers around or even goes viral with some wild three-point shooting display or a flash of those best-at-the-combine hops.

It just feels like there's less to learn with him than with some of the other top prospects. Or less that we can learn without seeing him in action on the real Rockets—alongside Amen Thompson, in particular—at least.

For now, though, it will be worth tracking how comfortable Sheppard looks creating offense for himself and his teammates against professional defenders. He might handle a lot of off-ball work in the regular season, but hopefully his summer diet is heavy with on-ball offerings."

Sheppard made his Summer League debut on Friday night, scoring 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting, in addition to five assists, four rebounds, and three blocks.

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