Unlike other top picks in this year’s draft, Houston Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard lived up to expectations during his Summer League stint. This prompted head coach Ime Udoka to drop a blunt review of his performance during the pre-season games.
After a successful high school career at North Laurel High School, where he became the state’s leading scorer, Sheppard committed to play college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats in 2021.

During his freshman season at Kentucky in 2023-2024, Sheppard quickly made an impact, earning SEC Freshman of the Year and national freshman of the year honors from the USBWA and NABC. He was also named to the All-SEC Second Team.
Following his impressive collegiate debut, Sheppard decided to forgo his remaining college eligibility and declare for the 2024 NBA Draft. He was selected with the third overall pick by the Houston Rockets and signed a rookie-scale contract with the team earlier this month. He made a strong impression in his NBA Summer League debut, showcasing his versatile skillset with 23 points, five assists, four rebounds, and three blocks in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
As Sheppard begins his professional career with the Rockets, basketball fans eagerly anticipate his continued growth and development as a dynamic young talent in the NBA.
Houston Rockets Head Coach Ime Udoka Drops Honest Review of Rookie Reed Sheppard

Although the Rockets didn’t win in Summer League this year, Sheppard’s showing has been a revelation for the team. In a video shared by Space City Home Network on X, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka dropped a blunt review of the Houston rookie.
Coach Udoka has liked what he has seen from rookie Reed Sheppard 💪🏼
The @houstonrockets final summer league game is tonight at 8pm on Space City Home Network! pic.twitter.com/5VC2FvLfP4
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) July 21, 2024
In the four games Sheppard played in Summer League, he averaged 20.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. He also shot 50 percent from the field, but didn’t really perform well from beyond the arc with 27.8 success rate.

Although Summer League doesn’t really show a players true potential for a full NBA season, there are still a lot to like about Sheppard’s game. As indicated by Udoka, Rockets fans will look forward to what their top rookie can do in the coming months.

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