NBA executives believe Reed Sheppard will win Rookie of the Year

Things couldn’t have gone much better for Reed Sheppard in Las Vegas, averaging 20.0 points and 5.3 assists per contest en route to 2K25 Summer League First Team honors. The Houston Rockets rookie looked the part of a day-one impact piece, knocking down shots with efficiency and making plays for his teammates while staying active on the defensive end of the floor. He was terrific, exceeding early expectations — even for the No. 3 overall pick.

With great production comes great praise, NBA executives raving about Sheppard’s performance to wrap up summer hoops. In a poll of 20 front-office members and scouts by ESPN, the former Wildcat was picked to be the draft’s best selection and the NBA Rookie of the Year.

“On the heels of a breakout showing at summer league, Sheppard (the Rockets’ pick at No. 3) took home the most votes, with “best pick” loosely defined as the strongest intersection of value and fit,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo wrote. “There’s a good deal of optimism around the league surrounding Sheppard’s future, and the prevailing thought is that he might be the next Kentucky Wildcats guard to fully blossom upon his arrival in the NBA. … The buzz in Las Vegas and optimism around his game was reflected in the voting.”

Just how good can he be?

“Sheppard is going to help Houston right away, and I think he has a chance to be an All-Star down the road,” one high-ranking Eastern Conference executive told ESPN.

That poll saw Sheppard finish with seven votes for best pick, followed by Donovan Clingan with three, Stephon Castle, Dalton Knecht and Bub Carrington with two and Nikola Topic, Rob Dillingham and Zaccharie Risacher with one.

As for the NBA Rookie of the Year vote, Sheppard let the way with seven, followed by Zach Edey with four, Castle with three, Clingan with two and Risacher, Knecht, Ron Holland and Tristan da Silva with one.

With immediate playing time on the table and a pro-ready game, it’s easy to see why the former Wildcat is an early favorite.

“Sheppard again garnered the popular vote. He was likely also a beneficiary of summer league bias, but there’s an increasing notion that the Rockets will have to find him the level of playing time necessary to contend for NBA Rookie of the Year,” ESPN added.

The year of Reed Sheppard continues.