Jay Bilas: Reed Sheppard is "one of the best shooters I've seen in a long time"

Where will Reed Sheppard land in the 2024 NBA Draft on Wednesday? He’s projected to go No. 3 to the Houston Rockets by ESPN, The Athletic, USA TODAY, The Ringer and Bleacher Report, among other national outlets — essentially a consensus at this point. The former Wildcat is the betting favorite among college prospects to come off the board inside the top five at -700 overall, followed by Donovan Clingan at -400 and Stephon Castle at -215.

Someone is taking a shot on Sheppard early, likely the Rockets at No. 3. What are they getting in the London, KY native? ESPN’s Jay Bilas broke it down ahead of the draft Wednesday afternoon.

“What I love about Reed Sheppard? He’s the best shooter in this NBA Draft,” he said. “Whether it’s catch-and-shoot, shooting off the dribble or three-point shooting, Reed Sheppard is a primetime shooter.”

That’s not all he can do though, says Bilas. The college basketball and draft expert also believes he’s not only an underrated athlete, but a darn good one, while also being an active defender.

“Sheppard is a sneaky good athlete. At the (NBA Draft) Combine, he finished fourth in standing vertical and finished No. 1 in max vertical,” he said. “He’s a good athlete and a very good defender, gets a ton of steals. He really reads situations well.”

We all know why Sheppard is a top-three pick, though. If you’ve watched him play, you know exactly why teams are tripping over themselves to call his name at the Barclays Center.

And what he does well, he does better than just about anyone Bilas has seen in recent memory.

“If there is one thing that he can do, he can make shots at a high rate. Reed Sheppard shot over 50 percent from three,” he said. “One thing you know watching Reed Sheppard on the big screen is he’s the best shooter in this draft — and one of the best shooters I’ve seen in a long time.”

That segment came after highlighting the former Wildcat earlier in the week in a clip on social media asking how Sheppard’s game translated to the NBA.

His answer then? “I like him a lot.”