HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Rockets chosen Reed Sheppard with the third total decide in the NBA draft Wednesday evening, including a elite long-range shooter to their younger staff.
“We ended up with Reed as one of the best participant within the draft by fairly a bit, one of the best prospect we thought… and form of the one man we had been actually centered on,” common supervisor Rafael Stone mentioned. “So if he had not gotten to us we’d have most likely traded down or out of the draft. After we had the chance to choose him, we jumped on it.”
The guard, who spent one season at Kentucky, was the primary American taken on this 12 months’s draft after French gamers Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr had been chosen by Atlanta and Washington with the prime two picks.
Sheppard mentioned he’d dreamed of this second since he was a little bit child. His huge evening was made much more particular by having his mother and father Jeff and Stacey Sheppard, who additionally each performed at Kentucky, there with him. He turned 20 on Monday.
“It’s my mother’s birthday immediately,” he mentioned. “In order that’s an superior factor to have a good time as effectively.”
Sheppard averaged 12.5 factors, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and a couple of.5 steals whereas showing in 33 video games for the Wildcats. He shot 52.1% from 3-point vary and made 83.1% of his free throws. He was the one participant within the nation final season to have at the least 145 assists, 80 steals and make at the least 75 3-pointers.
Sheppard turned the second participant at school historical past to have at the least 80 steals in a season regardless of beginning simply 5 video games. It’s the seventeenth consecutive 12 months that Kentucky has had at the least one participant chosen within the NBA draft.
“Our analysis was that Reed has a really particular skillset that provides him an opportunity to be particular within the NBA,” Stone mentioned.
At 6-foot-2 and 182 kilos, Sheppard is among the many smallest gamers on this 12 months’s draft, however can be thought by many draft analysts to be one of the best shooter.
Sheppard is the newest excessive draft decide to affix the rebuilding Rockets lately. They took Amen Thompson fourth final 12 months after including Jabari Smith Jr. with the third decide in 2022 and Jalen Inexperienced second in 2021.
Stone was requested how he thinks Sheppard will match together with his new staff.
“He can actually shoot and he can actually go, so gamers like that slot in each offense,” he mentioned.
The Rockets missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season this 12 months however made a big leap of their first 12 months underneath coach Ime Udoka after including veterans Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet. Houston went 41-41 after profitable simply 17, 20 and 22 video games within the earlier three seasons.
“I’m tremendous excited,” Sheppard mentioned. “They’ve a extremely good factor getting in Houston. Coach is basically good. They’ve Jalen. They’ve a bunch of actually younger athletic guys and we’ll be capable of play quick and it’s going to be enjoyable.”
He’s wanting ahead to taking part in with VanVleet, a fellow undersized guard who might be coming into his ninth season within the NBA.
“The most important factor is simply getting in and studying,” he mentioned. “They’ve guys like Fred VanVleet that I’ll be capable of study from. Simply getting in with an open thoughts, able to study, able to do no matter it takes to win and simply compete.”
Stone believes VanVleet will assist Sheppard, simply as he aided many gamers on the roster in his first 12 months in Houston final season.
“I believe that’s a useful expertise,” Stone mentioned. “Fred was superb for all of our gamers final 12 months, even the veterans. Fred’s most likely probably the most skilled and hardest NBA participant I’ve ever been round in 20 years on this league. So I believe it’s a blessing for Reed to come back into this case.”
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