Tag: Reed Sheppard

How Kentucky fared the last time they took on Tennessee

Kentucky plays Tennessee on Tuesday, but here’s how their last matchup went.

Kentucky basketball is set to play one of their toughest matchups tonight against the Tennessee Volunteers. With the Vols ranked eighth in the country, they’re a force to be reckoned with. Kentucky isn’t far behind, although they did drop from ninth to twelfth nationally in the latest AP Poll.

The matchup in Knoxville could be one for the ages, as was the last time the two teams faced off.

That last one came on March 9th of last season, where the Wildcats took down the Volunteers 85-81 to spoil their Senior night.

Although it was Senior night, it was a freshman that shined brightest for Kentucky. First-year guard Reed Sheppard, from London, KY, played 33 minutes off the bench. In those 33 minutes, the 6’2″ all-around guard dropped 27 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

Related: Lamont Butler to miss Tennessee game

Sheppard went on to be selected third overall in the following NBA draft, while teammate Antonio Reeves was selected in the second round (47th overall) this past spring.

The fifth-year senior matched Sheppard on points in that matchup with the Volunteers. He also chipped in 7 rebounds.

Future Lakers first round pick Dalton Knecht starred for Tennessee in the matchup, putting up 40 points of his own. Ultimately it didn’t matter, as Kentucky dished out a loss to their SEC neighbors.

Regardless of tonight’s outcome, the two teams will matchup again on February 11 in Lexington.

ESPN selects Reed Sheppard for Rookie of the Year honors in 2024-25

A panel of ESPN analysts picked guard Reed Sheppard to win NBA Rookie of the Year.

Former Kentucky Wildcats freshman guard Reed Sheppard was selected number 3 overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2024 NBA draft. Many analysts consider him the favorite to win league Rookie of the Year this season, including some at ESPN.

At ESPN Sheppard received 74 points and 62 percent of the first-place votes by the panel of analysts. Zach Edey of the Memphis Grizzlies came in second with 40 points and 14 percent of first-place votes and former teammate Kentucky point guard Rob Dillingham was also in the top five of vote getters for the award as well.

Related: Kentucky’s SEC schedule has been released

Sheppard had an amazing NBA Summer League with the Houston Rockets averaging 20 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game while also being named to the All-Summer League First Team.

The 2024-25 NBA season begins on Tuesday, Oct. 22, the Rockets season starts on the 23rd as they host the Charlotte Hornets. Sheppard is expected to be a big part of the Rockets plans this season.

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ESPN media poll projects Houston’s Reed Sheppard as 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year

Rockets guard Reed Sheppard checks in as a strong frontrunner in ESPN’s initial 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year projection.

In the aftermath of a strong performance at the NBA’s 2024 summer league, expectations are high for rookie guard Reed Sheppard as he begins his professional career with the Houston Rockets.

Thus, to no surprise, Sheppard is a Rookie of the Year favorite in ESPN’s “Summer Forecast” for the 2024-25 NBA season. As part of the annual exercise, ESPN polls a group of its media experts regarding awards predictions and key questions for the new season.

A first-place vote receives five points, a second-place vote secures three points, and a third-place vote earns one point.

For Rookie of the Year, Sheppard — drafted by the Rockets at No. 3 overall in the 2024 first round — was a strong frontrunner with 72 total points and 62% of first-place votes. Memphis big man Zach Edey finished second with 40 points and 14% of the total vote.

Tuesday’s complete results are available at ESPN. Other Rockets who received votes (without leading these categories) are Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, and Jabari Smith Jr. for Most Improved Player and Ime Udoka for 2024-25 Coach of the Year.

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Houston’s Reed Sheppard earns third-best rookie rating on NBA 2K25

Rockets guard Reed Sheppard is tied for the third-best overall rating among rookies in the upcoming NBA 2K25 video game.

Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard is tied for the third-best overall rating among rookies in the upcoming NBA 2K25 video game.

Ronnie Singh, also known as Ronnie 2K due to his longtime role with the video-game franchise, recently released the initial rookie ratings in a social media post on X. Sheppard’s overall rating is 73, tied with San Antonio’s Stephon Castle and Portland’s Donovan Clingan.

Sheppard, a guard out of Kentucky, was drafted by the Rockets at No. 3 overall in the 2024 first round. Castle was selected one slot later by the Spurs at No. 4, while Clingan was picked by the Trail Blazers at No. 7. Both Clingan and Castle played their college basketball at Connecticut, which won the 2024 national championship.

The only rookies rated above Sheppard are Atlanta’s Zaccharie Risacher and Washington’s Alexandre Sarr, who were taken two picks higher at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. (Though it’s worth noting that Sheppard outplayed Sarr at the NBA’s 2024 summer league.)

Both Risacher and Sarr checked with an overall rating of 75.

The complete ratings for all teams and players will be released closer to the Sept. 6 public release of NBA 2K25.

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Trae Young doubles down on praise of Houston’s Reed Sheppard

Hawks guard Trae Young, a three-time NBA All-Star, tells Paul George that Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard will be “a hell of an NBA player.”

Trae Young, a three-time All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks, openly admired Rockets guard Reed Sheppard during the Houston rookie’s sensational debut at the NBA’s 2024 summer league.

Now, nearly a month later, Young is doubling down on that praise in a new episode of “Podcast P” (presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment and hosted by longtime NBA superstar Paul George).

Here’s what Young said while commenting on the league’s 2024 rookie class, as captured by Chris Gorman:

Reed [Sheppard]… is gonna be a hell of an NBA player.

Young’s full comments on this year’s rookie class can be read here, and the complete George-Young podcast can be viewed below.

As for Sheppard, the No. 3 overall draft pick in the 2024 first round, he averaged a team-high 20.0 points (50.0% shooting), 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.8 steals in four summer-league games.

In his 2024-25 rookie season, Sheppard will compete for minutes in Houston’s backcourt behind incumbent starters Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green. Other reserve options for those minutes are likely to include Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore, and Aaron Holiday.

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Rockets release behind-the-scenes video of Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore, summer teammates

The Rockets are releasing behind-the-scenes video footage of their summer squad, which featured Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore in starring roles.

Despite a 2-3 record, the NBA’s 2024 summer league was largely a successful one for the Houston Rockets.

The biggest reason, of course, is that the most anticipated prospect on that team fared well. In his first action with the team, rookie guard Reed Sheppard — drafted at No. 3 overall in the 2024 first round — earned All-Summer League First Team honors.

In four games from Las Vegas, Sheppard averaged a team-high 20.0 points (50.0% shooting), 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.8 steals.

Of the three losses, two came without second-year forward Cam Whitmore, who won summer-league Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors in 2023. One came without Sheppard, and the other was a lethargic performance on night two of a back-to-back.

Thus, when viewing summer league through the parameters of which players are likely to impact the Rockets in the 2024-25 season and beyond, it was a strong showing for Houston’s top prospects.

Courtesy of the team, here is behind-the-scenes video footage of the summer Rockets. The complete video, which includes a wide range of practice clips and interview snippets, can be viewed below.

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Rockets’ Reed Sheppard selected to win Rookie of the Year by executives in ESPN poll

Rockets guard Reed Sheppard was voted the top choice to win Rookie of the Year by executives and scouts in a poll conducted by ESPN.

Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard was voted the top choice to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award by a panel of executives and scouts in a poll conducted by ESPN.

The 20 individuals polled were asked a number of questions about the incoming rookie class, such as the best player and the biggest steal of the draft. They were also asked about the draft expanding to a two-day format, which received a positive reaction.

Sheppard received seven votes from the panel, while Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey garnered four votes and San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle had three votes.

Who’s your NBA Rookie of the Year pick?

  1. Reed Sheppard, Rockets: 7 votes
  2. Zach Edey, Grizzlies: 4
  3. Stephon Castle, Spurs: 3
  4. Donovan Clingan, Trail Blazers: 2
  5. Zaccharie Risacher, Hawks: 1
  6. Ron Holland II, Pistons: 1
  7. Dalton Knecht, Lakers: 1
  8. Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic: 1

Sheppard debuted with the Rockets in the NBA Summer League, averaging 20 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocked shots on 50% shooting from the field in four games. He was named to the NBA All-Summer League first team and finished ninth in scoring.

The third pick is second in odds to win Rookie of the Year, narrowly trailing only Risacher. He looked to be one of the top rookies on the court in the desert and proved himself as a high draft pick in a small sample size with the Rockets.

The odds will certainly continue to fluctuate over the course of the upcoming season, which tips off on Oct. 25. However, Sheppard and the rest of the players on the list established themselves as the top players thus far and should be in store for strong rookie campaigns.

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Reed Sheppard wins NBA exec poll for best rookie of 2024 draft class

“Sheppard is going to help Houston right away, and I think he has a chance to be an All-Star down the road,” an NBA executive tells ESPN.

In a poll of 20 NBA executives and scouts conducted by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard won a pair of questions related to his 2024 draft class.

With seven votes in each of these categories, Sheppard was the leading vote-getter for the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year projection and a question of which rookie will prove to be the draft’s best pick.

Among the comments:

On the heels of a breakout showing at summer league, Sheppard took home the most votes, with “best pick” loosely defined as the strongest intersection of value and fit. There’s a good deal of optimism around the league surrounding Sheppard’s future, and the prevailing thought is that he might be the next Kentucky Wildcats guard to fully blossom upon his NBA arrival.

“Sheppard is going to help Houston right away, and I think he has a chance to be an All-Star down the road,” one high-ranking Eastern Conference executive said.

Sheppard stood out in Las Vegas, looking comfortable as the Rockets’ full-time point guard after splitting duties off the bench in college.

ESPN concluded its Sheppard remarks by noting that there is an “increasing notion” that the Rockets will need to find him the level of playing time necessary to contend for NBA Rookie of the Year.

As things stand, Houston’s playing rotation appears quite crowded — yet Sheppard could be making it tough to leave him out.

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Podcast: What’s next for Rockets as 2024-25 training camp nears

This week’s podcast explores what’s next for the Rockets as the 2024 offseason continues, including contractual decisions for Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green.

With the calendar turning to August this week, September isn’t far away. That’s the month that training camps around the NBA will open for the 2024-25 season, which starts in October.

In Houston, the young and improving Rockets are coming off an encouraging 41-41 season. That 19-win improvement, relative to 2022-23, was the biggest annual jump of any NBA team in 2023-24.

So, as a new season approaches, what comes next for Ime Udoka and Rafael Stone’s Rockets? This week’s podcast episode of The Lager Line, hosted by Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves, explores key themes to watch for as the offseason enters its final weeks.

Discussion topics include:

  • Final impressions from rookie guard Reed Sheppard at the NBA’s recently completed 2024 summer league
  • Rotation considerations for Udoka, including why neither Sheppard nor second-year guard Cam Whitmore is assured an immediate rotation role
  • Contract extension considerations involving both Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green (the deadline is just prior to the October regular-season opener)
  • Whether Houston makes sense as a potential trade suitor for Utah forward Lauri Markkanen

Tuesday’s episode, which is sponsored by Clutch City Lager of Karbach Brewing, can be listened to below in its entirety. Each episode is also made available via flagship radio station SportsTalk 790 and to all major podcast distributors under “The Lager Line.”

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Rockets coach Ime Udoka sees well-rounded player in rookie Reed Sheppard

“He’s not getting overwhelmed, at all,” Ime Udoka says of Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard. “He just continues to make the right play.”

Drafted at No. 3 overall in the 2024 first round, Reed Sheppard was billed as a sharpshooter after his lone collegiate season at Kentucky. While there, the 6-foot-2 guard shot over 52% on 3-pointers.

Yet, even though Sheppard shot below 28% on 3-pointers in a very limited four-game sample at the NBA’s 2024 summer league, he still made a clear impact for the Houston Rockets — as evidenced by Sheppard’s selection to the All-Summer League First Team.

One person who noticed was head coach Ime Udoka, who will decide Sheppard’s minutes and role with the Rockets when the 2024-25 season begins in October. In an interview with Vanessa Richardson of Space City Home Network, the team’s regional TV broadcast partner, Udoka raved about the well-rounded nature of Sheppard’s game and his ability to make an impact in many ways.

When asked what impressed him about Sheppard, Udoka said:

His composure. The IQ. The shooting ability… but more than that, the competitiveness, toughness, the intangibles that he brings.

We know about the things he does really well, but to see how much of a well-rounded player and natural leader he is, he’s fit right in.

He processes what teams are trying to do to him. They’re throwing some different looks at him and putting different personnel on him, and he’s taking it in stride.

He’s not getting overwhelmed, at all. He just continues to make the right play. That’s something that’s hard to teach, especially with only one year of college.

He just has a really good feel. He keeps it simple. He doesn’t over dribble or get himself in trouble. He takes the shot when it’s there, makes the pass when it’s there. He’s not worried about his result, it’s about what’s best for the team.

The complete Richardson-Udoka interview can be viewed below.

In four summer-league contests, Sheppard averaged a team-high 20.0 points (50.0% shooting), 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.8 steals. Houston went 2-2 in those games with Sheppard starting at point guard, including a 2-1 mark when Sheppard was flanked in the starting lineup by second-year wing prospect Cam Whitmore.

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