How Reed Sheppard fits in with the Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are in win-now mode. After an unexpectedly solid season in 2023-24 that saw them post a 41-41 record under Ime Udoka (his first year in charge), the timetable to be competitive has been moved up. There is a solid core in place with plenty of young talent. Some of that talent will have to get paid sooner rather than later (including star player Alperen Sengun), but the front office will have the money necessary to keep the majority of this group in place for years to come.

Enter Reed Sheppard, who was selected by Houston with the No. 3 overall pick (by way of the James Harden trade from 2021) in Wednesday night’s 2024 NBA Draft. Tabbed the best shooter in the draft (and some would argue the best shooting prospect in years), his upside outweighed all of the physical negatives in the eyes of NBA scouts and executives. Sheppard was trending as a Top 3 pick in the weeks leading into the draft and it was no secret that the Rockets were expected to take him.

In Houston, Sheppard will join a crowded backcourt that includes Fred VanVleet (the team’s most expensive player over the next two seasons), Jalen Green, last year’s No. 4 overall pick Amen Thompson, and we’ll even toss Dillon Brooks into that mix. But only VanVleet would be considered an above-average shooter. Sheppard fills that need immediately as someone who hit 52.1 percent of his shots from deep on 4.4 attempts per game last season at Kentucky.

Got our guy 👏@reed_sheppard | #Rockets pic.twitter.com/0u20ejZczL

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) June 27, 2024

With VanVleet, Green, and Thompson all fighting for those backcourt minutes, Sheppard could need time to find his rhythm and an established spot in the rotation (something we also said prior to his freshman season in Lexington — and we saw how that turned out). Luckily for the North Laurel product, he’s comfortable playing both on and off the ball.

“In this case, at the end of our process, we ended up with Reed as the best player in the draft by quite a bit. The best prospect, we thought,” Rockets General Manager Rafael Stone said about the pick. “And kind of the only guy we focused on. If he had not gotten to us, we would have probably traded down or out of the draft. But when we had the opportunity to draft him, we jumped on it.”

By taking Sheppard, Houston can bridge the gap between two different eras of its backcourt. VanVleet, Green (who is only 22, but has not performed to expected standards and could be a possible trade chip moving forward), and Brooks can assume control while Sheppard and Thompson can pave a path as the guards of the future. Jabari Smith Jr., another young and talented top draft pick for Houston, fits snuggly into the franchise’s timeline, as well.

“Not only do I love the player, but I love the fit,” Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, who gave the Rockets an ‘A’ grade for the pick, said. “I think Amen Thompson is the perfect backcourt mate for (Sheppard) assuming he is the long-term starter there. With Amen Thompson, he’s a guy who’s so good at getting to spots and creating. He struggles to shoot, and then you have Reed Sheppard to complement him with his floor-stretching range. I really just love the way they play off each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”

Additionally, Thompson’s defense is already at a near-elite level, which will help mask some of Sheppard’s on-ball issues in that area. Learning under VanVleet — now 30 years old, a former NBA champion, and a respectable figure across the league — is just an added bonus for Sheppard, too. The key will be how well Sheppard can work alongside Sengun, who is coming up on a major contract extension at 22 years old and is the franchise player of the future.

Sengun is an excellent passing big man at 6-foot-11 who can score from basically anywhere inside the arc. As time progresses, he and Sheppard should form a dangerous duo in the pick-and-roll (and could even work in Sheppard as the screener with Sengun the ball handler). If Sheppard plays off-ball, Sengun’s playmaking skills should put him in a great position for clean looks from deep.

The Rockets clearly prioritized Sheppard for his shooting ability but with plenty of plus-defenders around him and a franchise star in Sengun, the fit in Houston was obvious. Now, we’ll just have to wait and see how it all plays out.