It's officially announced! The Rockets selected Shepard with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft.
University of Kentucky two-way guard Reed Shepherd was born in 2004, is 1.87 meters tall barefoot and has an arm span of 1.91 meters, and played 33 games for the University of Kentucky from 2023 to 2024, averaging 12.5 points, 4.1 boards, 4.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.7 blocks in 29 minutes per game, shooting 53.6% from the field, 52.1% from three-point range, and 83.1% from the free throw line.
Reed Shepherd is an elite-level goalscorer with a high shot, long range, the ability to play without the ball and hold the ball, and a relatively good passing vision. Reed Shepherd is good at anticipating steals on the defensive end, he has strong mental attributes and is quite focused on the game.
Reed Shepard has good defensive skills, but that doesn't hide his size disadvantage. It's foreseeable that Reed Shepard will face a test on the defensive end when he arrives in the NBA.
Reed Shepherd's ability to attack on his own is insufficient, and control needs to be further strengthened.
While Shepard has obvious shortcomings, his strengths are truly what the Rockets desperately need at the moment. The Rockets need to add three-point firepower, and Shepard fits Udoka's requirements. According to previous information, the Rockets were optimistic about Shepard internally, and he was interviewed and tried out individually. Multiple draft experts also predicted that the Rockets would use the No. 3 pick to select Shepard.
Rockets prince Jalen Green appeared in the draft to join Shepard. After seeing the group photo, some fans said that Shepard's height has shrunk?
Jalen Green should be 1.98 meters tall in shoes, and Shepard is only 1.91 meters in shoes, and it is normal for the height gap between the two to be a little obvious. If Shepard is 1.98 meters tall, then the Rockets No. 3 pick will not be able to pick him.
Before the draft, Houston reporter Kelly Iko broke the news that the Hornets, who hold the No. 6 pick, are seeking a trade for the No. 3 pick in the Rockets' hands. The Hornets want Shepard, Rockets head coach Udoka wants a rim-protected center, and Mark Williams could be an interested signing.
Mark Williams, 22 years old and 2.13 meters tall, is the No. 15 pick in 2022 and averaged 12.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 blocks in 27 minutes per game last season, shooting 64.9% from the field.
Mark Williams is a blue-collar center who can protect the rim, he can eat cakes and protect rebounds, and he is good at fighting for rebounds in the front court to win a second offense. Mark Williams averaged four rebounds per game last season, the second-highest statistic in the league, ahead of Rockets veteran Capela.
Mark Williams has good defense and rebounding, but lacks autonomous offensive ability, no three-point shooting, low attendance, and played only 19 games last season.
It looked like the two teams couldn't reach an agreement, and in the end Stone abandoned the deal.
In the end, the Hornets used the No. 6 pick to select French forward Salon, who was also scouted by the Rockets.
The Trail Blazers used the No. 7 pick to miss Klingen, who was reluctant to go to the Rockets, believing he might not be able to get consistent playing time. Although Klingen is also a blue-collar center, he is a rookie after all, with physical confrontation and inexperience. In contrast, Shepard, who has shots, theorizes as plug-and-play and is expected to make it to the rotation in his rookie season.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who previously broke the news that multiple teams are interested in trading up for the No. 3 pick, revealed that the Rockets prefer to keep Shepherd and will not make a trade.