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.
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.
There was no holding back when ESPN asked 20 NBA executives and scouts to handicap the 2024 draft rookie class after their summer league performances.https://t.co/5jN5GBcT0j
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) July 31, 2024
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.
