The Houston Rockets selected Reed Sheppard with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Sheppard comes from a basketball background, particularly in the bluegrass state. Both of his parents played basketball at the University of Kentucky, and his father, Jeff, briefly played in the NBA as well. When the time came for him to make his own college choice, then, it was hardly a surprise that he chose to become a Wildcat. He was named the SEC's Freshman of the Year at Kentucky, but the Wildcats were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in the first round.
Sheppard is arguably the best shooter in this draft class. He made over 52% of his 3-pointers at Kentucky, and he rated near the top of college basketball both off the catch and off the dribble. While he is small even by point guard standards, he provided value defensively by averaging 2.5 steals per game.
That ability to generate turnovers and contribute in help situations will need to make up for his limitations on the ball, though, as his slight 6-foot-2 frame is going to make him a target in switch-hunting situations. He still has room to grow as an individual shot-creator inside of the arc as well, but his shooting alone makes him one of this draft's top prospects.
The Rockets have already had a busy draft week. On Tuesday, they swapped some of the Brooklyn picks they owned from the 2021 James Harden trade back to the Nets for a new set of picks primarily coming from the Phoenix Suns. This was done with an eye towards an eventual superstar trade, which has been considered a necessity in Houston because while their internal young players are promising, none have yet distinguished themselves as the sort of players who could lead a high-level winner.
What the Rockets have now is a group of youngsters that all have distinct strengths and weaknesses. Alperen Sengun looked like an All-Star as an offensive player last year, but his defense needs work. Jabari Smith is a valuable shooter and defender, but he hasn't grown into a self-creator. Jalen Green has incredible athleticism, but he hasn't yet harnessed it into the sort of driving game the Rockets likely expected. Amen Thompson can do just about everything except shoot, which he can't do at all. For now, the Rockets are in mix-and-match mode. They are trying to figure out which of their young players work well together and which ones make sense as trade pieces in pursuit of that veteran star.
Sheppard is a perfect stylistic fit for what the Rockets lack at the moment. The Rockets ranked 23rd in the NBA in 3-point percentage last season, and in Sheppard, Houston has now added an elite shooter from anywhere on the floor. That skill set meshes perfectly with Thompson, who needs a sharpshooting backcourt partner. Fred VanVleet is still the starter in Houston for the moment, but between Sheppard, Green and Thompson, the Rockets have three young guards with All-Star potential.
