The discourse surrounding Reed Sheppard has been rather inconsistent. And a bit rushed.
People seemed quick to write him off and call him a bust after just one year into his NBA career. Even though there’s been proof and countless examples of how it can take guards longer to adjust to the NBA.
Or any position. The transition can vary for each player.
Especially for a fairly undersized guard like Sheppard.
Up until this season, the whispers (more like roars) were super loud– the Houston Rockets should’ve drafted Stephon Castle third overall. Castle, of course, won Rookie of the Year in 2024-25.
Castle is an explosive athlete with great size. He’s essentially the opposite of Sheppard.
Castle is 6-foot-6 and is a highlight reel waiting to happen. But he can’t shoot from deep (24 percent from long-range).
Sound familiar?
It should. Because the Rockets already have an iteration of that on their roster in Amen Thompson, who is a superior defender to Castle, although Castle is a better playmaker.
The Rockets wouldn’t have drafted a player similar to Thompson.
The spacing (or lack thereof) would’ve been atrocious.
And based on Sheppard’s showing this season, it would’ve been a mistake. Sheppard has already reversed the narrative.
In fact, John Hollinger of The Athletic has coined Sheppard the most potentially impactful player from the 2024 NBA Draft class.
Which is quite the reversal.
“Sheppard (the third pick in that draft) does seem the most potentially impactful, both for what it means for the 2026 title race and for how much he’s raised his own stock around the league. The elite shot-making and knack for disruptive defensive plays that were hallmarks of his one season at Kentucky have made a dramatic return after being weirdly absent during his rookie season, and the result has been that Sheppard keeps up the havoc generated by the Houston Rockets’ starting guards.
Sheppard has 20 steals in just 125 minutes; his rate ranks him fifth in the league, and his knack for deflections makes it harder for defenses to profitably hunt him in size mismatches. Meanwhile, he’s made 47.3 percent of his 3s while confidently bombing away with much greater frequency.
That kind of deep spacing is what the Rockets need to open the floor for Kevin Durant and Alperen Şengün, and with a paucity of shooters on the roster, Houston needs Sheppard to provide it.”
On the year, Sheppard is averaging 12.5 points, three assists, 2.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 48.8 percent from the field, 47.3 percent from deep (5.7 assists), 62.8 effective field goal percentage and 63.2 percent true shooting.
And has drawn comparisons to Steve Nash, the former MVP and Hall of Famer.
Hollinger might be right.
