Houston Rockets rookie guard Reed Shepard is quickly building expectations with his performance at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Today we will discuss about Reed Sheppard summer league debut stats: High School,NBA Draft,Dad&Sister.
Reed Sheppard summer league debut stats: High School,NBA Draft,Dad&Sister
Reed Shepard, the No. 3 pick in the NBA draft, was one of the best players on the court Friday night in his first Summer League game. The former Kentucky guard stole the show with 23 points, five assists, four rebounds and three blocks in the Rockets’ 99-80 win against Bronny James and the Lakers.
That performance was a strong statement that Shepard could be one of the best players in the draft class.
When Shepard’s shot wasn’t falling early, he found ways to get to the rim or draw the defense for easy kick-out 3s. In the second half, he found Cam Whitmore for a backdoor cut in the halfcourt set, which received a loud applause from the crowd.
“It was a really fun game and a great atmosphere,” Sheppard said Friday night. “We had a good week of practice, and at first, it was just getting into a rhythm, shaking off the nerves, but as the games went on, I got more comfortable.”
Shepard’s second game on Sunday was just as impressive as his first. The Rockets faced the Wizards, who included No. 2 pick Alex Sars and No. 14 pick Bob Carrington. Carrington nearly had a triple-double in his first outing, finishing with 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Sunday’s game was projected to be a solid guard matchup, and both Shepard and Carrington went to work early.
Carrington had a bit of a strange shooting night, but still finished with 18 points and five assists in a 109–91 loss. Shepard finished with another great stat line and looked like a veteran player, finishing with 22 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals.
In just two games, he looks extremely comfortable in NBA spacing, is patient and plays with great speed. Defensively, he is recovering from switches, deflecting passes and getting blocks. It’s still early, but even some of the best guards in the NBA are seeing his potential. Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young posted on the And Shepard’s three future rocks.
High School
Shepard has the potential to be more than just a glue guy or lead guard on the second unit. Because of how well Shepard is playing and his extreme versatility on both ends of the court, he could become the franchise’s starting point guard.
“The biggest thing for him is he’s getting more comfortable on the court,” Rockets Summer League head coach Garrett Jackson said after the game. “I know he’s a good player and he’s confident, but especially with rookie players, just be comfortable on the court, everything falls into place after that. I’m glad it’s sooner rather than later.” That’s what is happening.”
Shepard’s role varied considerably during his one year at Kentucky. He came off the bench and played more of the ball with Rob Dillingham (who was drafted 8th overall to the Timberwolves). Shepard shot very well, shooting 52.1% from 3-point range on nearly four attempts per game, and led the team with 4.5 assists per game. His playmaking and off-ball movement weren’t as sophisticated as we’re seeing in his first few Summer League games, and he credits his teammates and spacing for more freedom.
“I’m really just taking what I’m given each game,” Sheppard said. “We have a lot of good players that can space the field, and it’s opened things up for me. It’s about making the right basketball play. If I’m open, shoot it. If I’m not, So attack and win when someone else is open. I’m just relying on my teammates and making all the right basketball plays.”
This is Whitmore’s second season with the Rockets and he was named 2023 Summer League MVP last year. The 6-foot-7 wing has, by far, been one of the best players in this Summer League and has quickly adjusted to Shepard. Whitmore is averaging 22.5 points through the first two games and has shown what Whitmore is seeing on both sides of the ball by taking Shepard aside at times.
NBA Draft
Houston Rockets rookie Reed Shepard is the star of the NBA Summer League after consecutive stellar performances in Las Vegas. The 2024 No. 3 pick earned plenty of support for his strong play on Monday afternoon.
Reed Sheppard summer league debut stats: High School,NBA Draft,Dad&Sister
Former Cleveland Cavaliers guard and four-time NBA All-Star Mark Price praised Shepard, tweeting, “This young man has a bright future!” A heightened comparison was also added, in which Price saw parallels between Shepard and… himself. The comparison is certainly complimentary.
Price, for those not at all familiar with 20th century hoops, is one of the great guards of his era, a sharpshooter who contributed significantly to seven Cleveland playoff teams from 1988-95. And Price’s shooting was not only good; It was out of this world. The Georgia Tech product is a career 40.2 percent shooter from three.
He led the NBA in free-throw percentage three times, and throughout his career, he posted gaudy shooting splits (47 percent from the field, 40 percent from three, and 90 percent from the line).
Price combined his prodigious shooting with an astute interior scoring game and supreme vision, posting top-10 MVP finishes in 1989, ’92, ’93 and ’94. The Rockets have high expectations from Shepard. Accomplishing Price’s career highs would mark continued success.
I doubt we’ll see Shepard, head coach Ime Udoka or general manager Raphael Stone acknowledge the pricey comparison any time soon, but Houston executives aren’t shy about their confidence in the 20-year-old after a lone season at Kentucky. Udoka continues to emphasize the all-round nature of Shepard’s game.
The young guard is supporting his coach’s heroics, combining his long-range triples with steals and dunks.
Shepard will soon have to face real NBA competition. He still looks ready to handle some of the minutes in Udoka’s early weeks rotation.
Dad & Sister
Parents are Jeff and Stacy Shepard… He has a sister, Madison… Both parents played college basketball at Kentucky… His father was the MVP of the 1998 Final Four and won two national championships
Sister
Before Reed Shepard finally committed to play basketball at the University of Kentucky, where both of his parents played, his sister wasn’t sure he was going to choose UK. “It was about 50-50 with me,” said Madison Shepard, a senior at Campbellsville University.
“A part of me really thought he would choose a different path. I’m not going to lie because at one point I thought he wasn’t going to pick Kentucky because there was so much pressure on him that people didn’t even realize. “But Kentucky really recruited him consistently and everything Kentucky offered was great. Once we went to Big Blue Madness together, I loved that he’d choose Kentucky.
Reed Sheppard, a 6-3 junior combo guard at North Laurel High School, is a top 20 player nationally by one recruiting service. Playing this week, he averaged 24.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 58 percent overall from the field and 44 percent from 3-point range.
He was named Most Valuable Player at the King of the Bluegrass Tournament and had a triple-double – 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists (with four steals) in the title game loss to Covington Catholic. The five-star guard visited Virginia, Ohio State, Indiana and Louisville before deciding to play at Kentucky like his parents, Stacy Reed and Jeff Shepard. “I think he handled all the pressure well for a high school junior,” Madison Shepard said.
“At times he would feel overwhelmed. He just wants to be a normal kid but just because he’s committed to the UK, it’s not going to be easy for him. He decided that this was the way it would be and he could live with it. Madison was a successful high school player and was part of a winning program at Campbellsville before a back injury forced her to miss her senior season this year. She’s still part of the team – “It’s hard to sit on the bench and watch but I’m a big cheerleader because that’s all I can do.
