Based on a survey, 50% of NBA General Managers believe Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard could win the Rookie of the Year award. Some basketball analysts have found similarities in his game with Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry.
Former NBA player Rashad McCants threw in a different comparison to Sheppard’s skills, who is an exceptional shooter who can help run the offense. He reacted to a post on X by NBA insider Tom Haberstroh, who deemed the former Kentucky star the “closest thing” to Curry.
“I rocks wit Reed!!! Lil Caitlin lol”
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Caitlin Clark took the WNBA by storm in 2024. She set several records, was a vote shy of a unanimous Rookie of the Year selection, and finished fourth in the MVP voting. Sheppard will be a mind-boggling success if he can produce performances similar to Clark’s first year of pro basketball with Indiana Fever.
How Rockets coach Ime Udoka utilizes Reed Sheppard will help determine the rookie’s impact. In the team’s first two preseason games, the 20-year-old came off the bench behind Jalen Green, Fred VanVleet and Amen Thompson.
As a non-starter, he can still contend for the ROTY award but having the same impact as Clark will be tricky to replicate. The Fever rookie played major minutes, and everything on Indiana’s offense ran through her.
Reed Sheppard’s two-way impact has made him valuable to Ime Udoka’s rotation
Even if Reed Sheppard hasn’t started in the preseason, Ime Udoka has utilized him differently. In the rookie’s NBA debut against the Utah Jazz on Monday, Sheppard finished with four points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks.
Udoka asked him to help run the offense and take on Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, Keyonte George, or Isaiah Collier on defense. Sheppard, who led the SEC in steals last season with 2.5 SPG, more than held up his own.
The former Boston Celtics coach is known for building defensive-minded teams, and Sheppard has already earned Udoka’s trust in that regard.
In the Rockets’ 122-113 overtime win against the OKC Thunder on Wednesday, Ime Udoka designed more plays for Reed Sheppard. The rookie did not disappoint, as he finished the game with 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting with four rebounds, two assists and one steal.
