Rockets' Reed Sheppard Disappoints NBA Fans with Quiet Preseason Debut vs. Jazz

Reed Sheppard debuted with the Houston Rockets on Monday night as they faced the Utah Jazz on the road, suffering a 113-122 loss.

After being drafted out of Kentucky as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, fans had high expectations for the 20-year-old. However, those expectations quickly diminished after he contributed four points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks in his debut.

Aside from delivering a stellar outlet pass that resulted in two points and hitting a smooth jumper from just inside the arc, Sheppard didn't quite show fans what they were expecting.

The 6-foot-2 shooting guard was drafted to support veterans Steven Adams and Fred VanVleet, with the hope of helping to turn around a Houston team that finished 41-41 last season.

During Sheppard's one-year tenure with the Kentucky Wildcats, he averaged 12.5 points per game with 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 52 percent from beyond the arc.

Despite his short stay at the collegiate level, Sheppard believes that he is plenty prepared for the big-league thanks to his time at Kentucky (1:50 mark).

"That's a good thing about going to Kentucky is you get to play against the best players in the world, you get to be coached by the best coach in the world in Coach Cal," Sheppard told reporters on draft night. "Being able to go against those guys at practice and get better and better, that does nothing but get you prepared for the NBA."

Sheppard will continue his rookie preseason campaign on Wednesday, Oct. 9 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road.