Heading into the 2024 NBA draft, the Houston Rockets had their eyes set on one player with the No. 3 overall selection in Wednesday’s first round. As fate would have it, University of Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard was still available when Houston was on the clock.
“I think there are a lot of guys who can and will have really productive NBA careers,” Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said after the first round. “But 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.”
“He was the only guy we were really focused on, so if he had not gotten to us, I think we would have traded down or out of the draft. But when we had the opportunity to draft him, we jumped on it.”
When Stone was asked why he felt Sheppard was the best prospect in the draft, he immediately mentioned his shooting ability as a primary reason. Last season, Houston ranked 23rd in the NBA in 3-point shooting, finishing at 35.2% as a team.
“He has a special set of skills,” Stone said of Sheppard, who shot 52.1% on 3-pointers in his lone collegiate season at Kentucky. “His shooting was historically great. His feel for the game, his passing, his ability to get deflections, and he is an NBA athlete. The IQ and feel are very real. There is just a lot to like.”
“But in this case, at the end of our process, we ended up with Reed (Sheppard) as the best player in the draft by quite a bit,” said Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone. #Rockets #Sarge pic.twitter.com/I6DEqKojXD
— BIG SARGE MEDIA LLC (@BigSargeSportz) June 27, 2024
Sheppard, 20, appeared in 33 games at Kentucky and averaged 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. His 52.1% clip from 3-point range was a key factor in him being awarded Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year and earning second-team All-SEC honors.
While with the Wildcats, Sheppard was named National Freshman of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He earned All-America Honorable Mention from the Associated Press.
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